Secrets in my Blood
by Lady BlackDragonFire
Summary: Keiko has just found out a terrible secret about her parents. Her REAL parents. Now Keiko is in serious trouble with only one person that can help . . . and he's name isn't Yusuke. HieiKeiko CHAPTER 13
1. Hybrid

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. *Gasp* Could that be why they call it fanfiction.net?!  
  
Dedication: This is for one of my reviewers, Zero Enna005. The plot is mine, but Zero Enna005 was the one who requested a Hiei/Keiko fic.  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD  
  
How one person could be in so much pain, she didn't know. All she knew was that she hurt. Not just the physical pain either. The emotionally grief she was feeling was overwhelming. She kept telling herself over and over it wasn't true. Deep down she knew it was. She knew it. It was in her blood.  
  
Keiko nearly cried out, it hurt so much. Her life was nothing more than an illusion. Some sick joke that she believed to be true. Then, her mother told her. Her mother was the root of all her problems. How could she have done this to her!  
  
How could she have done it knowing the consequences?! How could she do this to her only child? How could she have given Keiko her life knowing . . . knowing . . .  
  
Knowing that Keiko would die and die young.  
  
So, so young.  
  
In a few days in fact.  
  
She started to cry again. Her tears joining the salty puddle on the floor, where she was sitting. How could she die at the age of fourteen? How could her father not really be hers? How could she be what she was? How could her 'real' father be what he was?  
  
How could she be . . . a hanyou?  
  
How could she be a hybrid demon? How could her mother have done this to her father? Why, why, WHY?  
  
Her tears ran down her face burning her skin. They did not burn as much as the pain though. The pain was now her constant companion. It would kill her soon. Very soon.  
  
"I don't want to die . . ." Whispered Keiko  
  
She didn't want to die just because her mother had made this one terrible mistake. She didn't want to die just because her real father had been a demon. She didn't want to die just because her demon blood wouldn't accept her human blood.  
  
How was she could she stop her own body from destroying itself?  
  
She couldn't. She didn't know how. Some one else might though.  
  
But would she tell anyone? She didn't want anyone to know about her secret. Her deadly secret and her unclean blood.  
  
Some one else . . .  
  
Was this secret really worth dieing for? Could she really tell anyone?  
  
She might, but not Yusuke. He would never look at her the same again. Kuwabara would be even worse then Yusuke. So that left her barely a hand full of people . . .  
  
But who?  
  
Boton wouldn't know what to do. Koenma would tell Yusuke. So would Kurama. That left one person.  
  
Could she trust him? Probably not. Would he tell? No, he didn't tell anyone anything. Would he help?  
  
She was going find out. 


	2. Entrance of Makai

Disclaimer: Me? Own Yu Yu Hakusho? I wish!  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD CHAPTER 2  
  
The sky above was a steely grey. Keiko wished it would start to rain, in order to match her depressing mood. Sadly, she could not bend the elements to her will. So she walked on, her head pounding from the lethal demon blood's attack.  
  
She walked into the park and sat to rest on a bench for awhile. Although she had only been walking for a few minutes, her limbs felt like lead and her head felt like it was splitting open. Keiko rubbed her arms and wished she had brought a jacket with her. Slowly, she stood back up and continued her search for the elusive fire demon.  
  
After fifteen minutes of searching she could still not find him. It was now raining and her school clothes might as well not be there. They did nothing to protect her from this threat to her life.  
  
Not like it mattered. She would never find Hiei. She was doomed to die, whether it is from her demon blood or from hypothermia. Keiko lifted her head and allowed the rain to mingle with her salty tears. She didn't want to die.  
  
"Damn it Hiei! Where are you?!"  
  
Her crying increased by ten-fold. Apparently all her tears had not been spilled in her house.  
  
"Hn."  
  
Keiko turned around and was surprised to see Hiei there. His hair still in its unusual shape despite the rain. She stopped her crying, knowing he would be disgusted by her petty emotions.  
  
"H-Hiei?" Keiko managed to choke out.  
  
"What?" Asked the fire demon in a harsh tone.  
  
"I-I need t-to talk to yo-you." Keiko said.  
  
"Then talk."  
  
Keiko nearly gasped in shock. Here she was, standing in the rain, obviously catching a cold or worse and he didn't care in the slightest! Then again, the only reason he probably even bothered to answer her was solely because he had a small amount of respect for Yusuke. Realizing that he was growing impatient, Keiko got her numb and chattering jaw under control.  
  
"I need you to help me. I have a terrible problem and . . . you're the only one who can save me." Said Keiko.  
  
"Ask Yusuke, your problems are none of my concern."  
  
Keiko could feel more tears forming in her eyes, but bravely held them back.  
  
"He can't help me, only you can. I'm going to die Hiei, unless you help me." Whispered Keiko.  
  
Hiei searched her face for the next few seconds. Looking to see if she was serious. Satisfied that she was, he nodded for her to continue. His face was as emotionless as it had been when they first started talking. Emotionless like it always was, like he always was.  
  
"I need your help because my mother made a mistake. My father isn't my real father. My true father is a demon. I'm half demon and for some reason my demon blood is going to kill me. I was wondering if you could help me . . . and if you do, please don't tell anyone." Said Keiko, more tears streaming down her face.  
  
Hiei looked shocked for a moment. Then his face reverted back to its hard, cold mask. Keiko prayed that he would help her.  
  
"I will tell no one."  
  
Keiko raised her head and looked at Hiei. Her heart pounded with renewed hope for her survival. Without thinking, she threw herself at him and hugged him with all her might.  
  
Hiei was surprised of course and instead of returning the young girl's hug, he roughly pushed her away. Not enough to make her fall, but enough for her to understand to never do it again.  
  
"Come." He growled  
  
Keiko glared at him, but followed none the less. They went to an abandon and dirty, but dry alleyway. Keiko was beginning to feel sick and not from the cold. Her blood was on the rampage again.  
  
"Hiei, can we . . . stop for . . . a bit?" Said Keiko, gasping in between words from the pain in her blood stream.  
  
"The sooner we get to the Makai, the sooner the pain will stop."  
  
Keiko stopped in mid step and her eyes widened.  
  
"We're going to the Makai?!" She squeaked.  
  
"Unless you want to die, yes. To save yourself, you will have to become a full demon. To do that, you must live like one." Explained Hiei.  
  
After some consideration, Keiko nodded in agreement. Like all other living beings, deep inside her was the need to survive. Keiko would do whatever it took to continue breathing. Even if it meant traveling to the accursed realm of demons.  
  
She then followed Hiei into an empty building. Inside the building there was a hole in the ground. It shone an emerald green and for some reason, she felt attracted to this gap in the floor. Like it was a magnate and she the metal. Could her demonic side by reacting to the entrance of its origin?  
  
Hiei grabbed her hand. Not out of comfort, but out of protection. None the less, Keiko felt safe in his grip. Together, they jumped into the portal. 


	3. The First Fight

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Yu Hakusho I would actually be *in* the show and sense I'm not . . . what does that tell you?  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD CHAPTER 3  
  
She crashed onto the solid ground. The sharp contact made her yelp in pain. Beside her was Hiei who had landed perfectly, even with their hands linked. Keiko sat up in order to give him a piece of her mind. Then she noticed it. Ignoring her new pain from the jarring landing, she realized that her blood was no longer in turmoil. Hiei let go of her hand.  
  
"Do you still hurt?" Asked Hiei.  
  
Keiko looked at him. She could tell he considered it demeaning to ask her such a question. A faint smile played on her face before she answered.  
  
"No, I'm alright. Thank you for asking." Answered Keiko.  
  
Hiei turned his back on her.  
  
"I asked because if you still felt any pain, you would die with or without my help. Then I could have left you and do as I please." Said Hiei, in an off-handed manner.  
  
Keiko glared at his back. He made Yusuke look like the perfect boyfriend!  
  
Yusuke . . .  
  
"Oh my god! Yusuke! What are my family and friends going to think?! How long I'll be gone?!" Thought Keiko  
  
It dawned on Keiko that her departure might have been a bit hasty. Or, perhaps not. Hiei didn't seem the type to wait patiently for some one he did not care for in the slightest. Especially if he was doing a favor for that person.  
  
"Hiei? How long will we be gone for?" Whispered Keiko, dreading the answer.  
  
"Weeks, months, depending on how difficult you chose to make this." Responded Hiei, who started walking away.  
  
"Wait!" Shouted Keiko, as she scrambled to get up.  
  
Hiei then jumped into a nearby tree and disappeared. Keiko stopped and glanced around for him nervously.  
  
"Hiei! Come back!" Yelled Keiko.  
  
A barely visible black blur landed besides Keiko. The blur then became Hiei. He did not look pleased.  
  
"What?" He growled.  
  
"I can't move that fast!" Said Keiko.  
  
"I will walk then." Said Hiei, grounding out the words like they were painful to say.  
  
"What about my friends and my family? What am I going to do about them?" Asked Keiko, not caring if this was a good time or not.  
  
"Nothing." Answered Hiei.  
  
"I have to do something! I can't just get up and leave!" Cried Keiko, hating the unfairness of it all.  
  
"You can, you did and we are not going back." Answered Hiei.  
  
Keiko thought about this. Her life was hanging in the balance. Her very existence was on the line here. Her family and friends could wait.  
  
"What am I thinking? This isn't me!" Thought Keiko, "But . . . I'm *always* thinking about others first. Putting myself first just this once and with these circumstances is completely fair."  
  
That being decided, Keiko began walking away from the barrier of the Makai and her world.  
  
Keiko walked along side him. This gave her a good view of her surroundings. The Makai was so different then her world. Right now they were on a level, gloomy and barren landscape. They were headed toward a forest.  
  
The forest was not at all inviting. The trunks had of the trees were an odd shade of purplish-brown. The leaves were a murky green that could have easily passed for black. All around her there were strange noises and sights. The hostile crooning of a bird creature was heard from a tree somewhere, causing Keiko to come even closer to Hiei. A stale breeze cut through the forest, making Keiko shiver. Then she remembered her wet clothing and shivered even more as the breeze intensified.  
  
Without moving his head, Hiei observed the shaking girl. His keen red eyes were aware of the blue tint on her skin and the degree of wetness in her clothes. Continuing on this ridicules quest to save her life from her demon blood would be foolish if he allowed her to die from the cold. Her kind was so pathetic and vulnerable.  
  
Without even the softest whisper of fabric, he removed his cloak and handed it to the soaked girl. She looked stunned for a moment and then carefully took it from him. Their hands came in contact for a brief moment and she blushed slightly. Finally, she wrapped the garment around her fragile form.  
  
Keiko had been surprised from Hiei's silent offering. She also scolded herself for blushing at his touch. Without her usual polite 'thank you', for she now knew such mannerism would go unappreciated by him, she put the dark piece of clothing on.  
  
It was warm and dry. The thin material was more comforting then a hot bath. After her appraisal of feeling of the cloak, she brought a corner of the cloth to smell. The scent was that of a man's, or male demon's really. No cologne or any other artificial fragrances were added. They didn't need to be. The musty, dark, natural concoction of odors she could not put a finger on was intoxicating.  
  
Without knowing, Keiko had fallen behind. Hiei was also too caught up in his own thoughts of his current position to notice this seemingly unimportant detail. However, it was soon to become important.  
  
A screech, a flash, the click of metallic wings and Keiko was gone. Hiei quickly turned around and saw a strange bird demon with metal wing clutching the screaming Keiko in its talons, flying away. A temporary panic surged through his system before he unsheathed his katana and darted into the nearest tree.  
  
The talons were ripping through her skin. She screamed. Her blood was drenching all her clothes. Except Hiei's cloak, which was liquid proof apparently, or perhaps it was a side effect of a fire demon for its wearer. Keiko did not ponder on these thoughts though. Her mind was franticly trying to work out a way to save herself amidst this red fog that clouded any and all coherent thought.  
  
Her eyes closed as she became numb. Her mind was a crazed animal, clawing frantically; trying to save it's being from the inevitable doom. The idea of one thinking 'death isn't so bad' right before they make the crossing into the next life was erroneous, as Keiko soon found out. The pain had subsided, but it made no difference to her. She was still very much alive and not willing to die.  
  
Without really feeling it, but more by sensing it, Keiko realized her body falling. Strong arms were wrapped around her and Keiko believed she was moving very fast. Now knowing she was out of danger, Keiko allowed herself to sink into an inviting darkness.  
  
When she awoke, Keiko's first observation was the incredible amount of pain she was in. Her shoulders ached, not with a slow, throbbing dull pain, but a rapid and sharp pain. Carefully drawing up an arm, so as not to increase her hurt, she gently touched the area of her wound. They were bandaged. Keiko let her arm fall limply back to her side and permitted her mind be consumed by the darkness again.  
  
Keiko opened her eyes and sat up. Her shoulders were very stiff, but didn't hurt much. She looked around. It was dawn and the sun was just coming up. It was beautiful. Makai had none of the pollutants that her world had; making the colors more vivid then she had ever seen them.  
  
Turning away from the rising sun, she looked at her surroundings. She was in a forest, a seemingly normal one. The leaves were green, the bark on the trees were brown and there didn't seem to be any monster birds. Keiko touched her shoulders again. Instead of the bandages, she felt the comforting dark material of Hiei's cloak.  
  
Hiei . . .  
  
Despite his obvious dislike for Keiko, he had given up his cloak for her and saved her. Maybe his crass, hateful words were not all true. Maybe he did care somewhat for her well being.  
  
"And maybe pigs can fly and little green men live on Mars." Thought Keiko with uncharacteristic sarcasm.  
  
She looked around for the demon of her thoughts. She wanted to know how long she had been out for. Keiko saw him. His back was, once again, facing her. Without his cloak on, Keiko could see his well toned upper body clearly. It made her want to blush, but she was too busy staring.  
  
Hiei turned around, knowing someone or something's eyes were watching him. He saw that Keiko had awaken and her cheeks were now stained red with embarrassment from being caught staring.  
  
"Hn. You're awake." Said Hiei, somewhat irked that she had been . . . studying him.  
  
"Yes . . . um, Hiei? How long have I been unconscious for?" Asked Keiko timidly.  
  
"Three days."  
  
"Wha-how . . . how could I have healed so quickly?" Interrogated Keiko.  
  
"You're almost demon now." Said Hiei, "After some decent training, then you'll be able to leave Makai."  
  
"Training?"  
  
"Martial arts. It's the easiest way for you to become a full demon. By learning to fight, you're demonic side will come out. You might even discover your special power, if you have one." Explained Hiei.  
  
"My special power? What is that?" Asked Keiko, her interested having been captured.  
  
"Kurama's power over plants and my power over fire. It's a trait that only your kin and you can possess. The control over an element." Answered Hiei.  
  
An "Oh." Was all Keiko could manage.  
  
She was going to find her special . . . power? Did she really have the ability to control an element? It didn't feel like it. Keiko felt like the same girl she had been her whole life. Well, perhaps a little different. For instance, Hiei had just told her she was to learn to fight. Keiko hated fighting and violence. Didn't she? Somehow, this failed to bother her as much as it should have.  
  
"Maybe I am changing." Thought Keiko as she got up. 


	4. Training Begins

Disclaimer: No, I do *not* own Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, Hiei would be in every single episode.  
  
Author's Notes: I'd just like to cruelly delay you from the story for a second so I can just say, thank you. All of my reviewers have given me the courage to continue this story. I'm so happy that you think so highly of me. Now for the next chapter.  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD CHAPTER 4  
  
"Do it again." Commanded Hiei.  
  
Keiko looked at him like one might looked at an insane person. She had been practicing the same moves for the past six hours. It was beginning to rack her nerves, not to mention wear her out. Even if these were what Hiei insisted on calling, 'pathetically simple' and if she had five minute water breaks from a flask Hiei had mysteriously produced. Her body was simply not used to this harsh treatment or these awkward fighting poses.  
  
Keiko knew better then to protest however. She had already tried. The results had been more moves she must perfect upon. At one point she had only to learn two basic Aiki-jutsu moves. Now she had to learn five.  
  
Hiei watched her fail again and again. It was always the same mistakes. She hadn't kicked high enough, her punch hadn't been powerful enough or she had just butchered the entire attack by moving out of stance. The fire demon knew not what to make of this. Had someone told him Keiko was a demon at this very moment, had he not sensed her dying, he would not have believed it. Her 'natural instinct' for fighting was nonexistent.  
  
He studied her, as he had been for the last six hours. She had the strength, but no talent. Her entire body was drenched in sweat from the vigorous, and seemingly unending, exercise. Yet she remained standing. This was actually proof enough that she was not fully human. A human, with Keiko's almost exact characteristics, would have fallen by now.  
  
Keiko kicked again, but this time, her body fell to the earth with a sickening thud. She lay there for a second and then let loose a low groan of anguish. Her body refused to lift itself. She was fatigued, both mentally and physically.  
  
Instead of forcing her to stand, Hiei decided it was time to let her rest. There was obviously something wrong, either with her or this method of training. What ever it was, it must be put to rights and soon.  
  
Keiko lay on the cold earth, waiting for the fire demon to discipline her. He did not. This surprised Keiko. She stayed in her fallen position gasping for some time. Finally she sat up, making her head spin slightly. Hiei was still there, watching her. This made her feel a little strange and insecure. Whenever he stared at her, she always felt this unfamiliar fluttery, bubbling feeling in the very core of her being. Perhaps it was the way he stared at her. His red eyes, they appeared to observe everything, take everything in. It was almost surreal.  
  
"Why does he always stare at me like that?" Thought Keiko.  
  
"You should bathe." Said Hiei, destroying her concentration, "I can smell you from here."  
  
Keiko glared at him. Hadn't anyone ever taught him to be courteous?  
  
"Most likely not, he did come from here." Thought Keiko as she continued glaring at him.  
  
"I would love to Hiei but," Answered Keiko, "There isn't a place to wash and I have no other clothes."  
  
The fire demon narrowed his eyes slightly, thus reminding Keiko who was superior. Once Keiko had down cast her eyes, Hiei spoke.  
  
"Hn. There is a stream not to far from her in that direction." Said Hiei, pointing west of the clearing they were in, "Leave the clothes to me."  
  
Before Keiko could protest or tell him her sizes, not that it would have done her any good, Hiei was gone. The female half demon just stood there, upset that her 'companion' treated her like an inferior being. Even with all she was going through! She felt the urge to scream and cry like she did when Yusuke upset her, but she didn't. Doing so might attract unwanted attention and without Hiei here to protect her . . . anything could happen. Keiko grit her teeth and stomped off toward the stream.  
  
After an hour or so, Keiko found the stream. Slowly, cautiously, Keiko began to peel off her tattered, dirty clothes. To say they were tattered and dirty was actually an understatement. The proper words were shredded and revolting. Once her school clothes were off she covered her body as best as she could and timidly ventured toward the churning water.  
  
She dipped one foot in and quickly removed it. The water was frigid. Keiko desperately wished for another way to cleanse herself, but she knew there was no other way. She looked at her skin. Already it had the beginnings of goose bumps. On top of it all, she was still covered in sweat.  
  
Keiko then noticed something about her skin, or really, the perspiration covering it. The salty liquid was tinted red! She brought her arm closer to her face. Her eyes widened as she smelt the reddish fluid. Its aroma was unmistakably metallic.  
  
Keiko jumped into the water, hoping to rid her body of the blood it had excreted from its pores. Fortunately the water was only waist deep. If it had been deeper, Keiko might have never resurfaced. The icy waters greeted her body with a cold brutality, forcing the air out of her lungs. She stood up and shrieked her displeasure. Hastily, she scrubbed herself and crawled out of the water, shaking violently. She sat down at the edge of the stream, still shivering.  
  
Then, something soft fell on her head. Looking up at a tree near the bank of the stream was Hiei. At first Keiko panicked at being seen unclad and threw a stone at him. Her aim was dead on, but Hiei dodged it with a slight turn of the head. Hiei did all this with his eyes closed, it seemed as though he had not been watching.  
  
"Don't worry; I have no interest in your body." Said the fire demon.  
  
This was not entirely true, despite the fact he sounded so convincing. He had accidentally witnessed her exposed body while she was bathing. Keiko might have known this, had she been close enough to see the pale blush that colored his cheeks.  
  
She was not close enough, fortunately for Hiei, and half believed him. Keiko did not fully believe him and probably never would. Living all her life with Yusuke, who could be a bit of a lecher at times, she never could banish the feeling that all males had over active sex drives.  
  
Once she was sure that Hiei was not watching her, she looked at the 'something soft' that had landed on her earlier. It had been clothes. The pile consisted of a comfortable, light green shirt with a brown undertone, dark green pants that fit snugly from her hips to her knees and were loose from that point on. Also, there was black, soft boots, one long black sash, a short black scarf and five white cloth bandages, one was wider then the others bandages.  
  
Assuming and she assumed correctly, the widest of the white clothes was a breast band. The more primitive version of the modern bra. Keiko might have been touched that Hiei cared to remember her female form if she hadn't been completely embarrassed. None the less, she put it on because she knew if she didn't, the torture would be much worse.  
  
Keiko then put on her pants. She felt strange without underwear, but there was none and she was not asking Hiei for some. Then she up on the shirt. The shirt had a nice texture to it, silky and soft, not the rough wooly feel she had been expecting. She then wrapped the sash around her pants and tied her hair back in a pony tail with the scarf. Due to the fact her hair was so short, a few locks were still in her face, but the scarf still helped. Finally, she tugged her boots on.  
  
"You can open your eyes now." Keiko told the very much a male fire demon.  
  
Hiei jumped off the far away branch he had been lounging on and landed in front of Keiko, surprising her a bit. He was less then half a foot away from her, closer then he had ever been, excluding the time they had entered the Makai, hands linked. She noticed that his eyes were only one and a half inches below hers. He really wasn't as short as he seemed.  
  
"Why didn't you put these on?" Questioned Hiei, who had taken the four remaining bandages without her knowledge.  
  
"I thought they were for problems we might have later." Said Keiko, thinking of the lacerations and abrasions she was likely to get.  
  
"They're to prevent problems." Said Hiei as he took one of her arms into his hands.  
  
Working quickly, the fire demon wrapped one of the bandages around her wrists and in between the fingers on that hand. He repeated the process with the other hand. He did this so quickly and so efficiently that Keiko could barely feel his hands caressing touch on her own.  
  
"Caressing?! No, no, it just felt kind of . . . nice." Thought Keiko, shocked by the irregularity of her own thoughts.  
  
"Sit down." Commanded Hiei.  
  
"Why?" Asked Keiko.  
  
"Unless you want to put these on your ankles yourself, you need to sit down so I can do it." Answered Hiei.  
  
Keiko sat down and Hiei put the bandages on her ankles. She now knew what they were for. The bandages would stop her from twisting joints. At this point in time, she remembered a question that had been plaguing her mind ever since she had begun her bath.  
  
"I need to ask you something." Said Keiko, already fearing the answer.  
  
"What?" Growled the fire demon.  
  
"My sweat . . . it was red. It had blood in it. Do . . . do you know why?" Ask Keiko.  
  
"Yes." Answered Hiei as he moved on to her other ankle  
  
"Then tell me!" Demanded Keiko frantically.  
  
"Hn. It has your human blood in it. Your body is ridding itself of the substances that make you human and replacing it with new demon blood. You should be relieved this is happening. It means that you will be a full demon soon." Replied Hiei.  
  
"My body is just going to sweat my blood away?! Why couldn't I just stay home and work out?!"  
  
"It isn't that simple. As I have already told you, to become a demon you must act like one. Besides, you were not fit to exercise in the human world. As I recall, you were stumbling around half dead in the park." Answered Hiei in a tone that clearly showed his disgust at her pitiful short term memory.  
  
"Follow me." Said Hiei, not waiting for her to think up a comeback.  
  
Keiko got up and let the fire demon lead her back to their camp site. It was getting dark now. The sky above, or what she could see through the canopy of leaves, was a myriad of otherworldly colors. All of the hues and tones were a darker version of the daytime ones; they were beautiful, but so much more sinister. It made her think of her own position. Keiko was becoming what she believed to be a darker version of herself.  
  
The complexity of her life had taken over her thoughts, thus dimming her other senses. Hence, she did not hear the near silent sound of scraping claws on the ground. Hiei on the other hand, was not pondering on the recent turn of events, not this time. He heard the faint, yet distinct sound.  
  
Pausing, Hiei listened closely to his surroundings. He gave no warning of stopping and Keiko walked right into him. Not even giving her the chance to fall, let alone ask him what he was doing, Hiei grabbed Keiko around the waist with one arm and covered her mouth with the other. Ignoring the rather sensual position they were in, what with Keiko's body leaning against his, Hiei concentrated all of his senses where he had heard the sound. After waiting in this pose for a minute or two, Hiei released Keiko. She whirled around to face him, to ask him what he had been doing.  
  
That is when the steel wing demons struck. 


	5. Ambush Ends

Disclaimer: I never will own Yu Yu Hakusho. *Sniff* The truth hurts . . .  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I got my first flame! YAY! I feel all grown up now!  
  
But seriously,  
  
I would just like to ask my flamer, La La La, to get over this little trauma she has with anything that is not Yusuke/Keiko.  
  
Do not get me wrong. Yusuke/Keiko can be a wonderful pairing. However, it has been done to death (and I'm not talking about Yusuke's dieing twice).  
  
I just thought I would do something fun and creative that required me to work hard.  
  
Next time, if you flame again, leave out the drugs, alright? I don't 'do' drugs or alcohol.  
  
Do you want to know why?  
  
It's not because of the commercials on MTV. It is because my grandfather died from it.  
  
He was one of the best people this world has ever seen. Not only was he kind, wise and one hell of a gardener, he was a World War two hero.  
  
He left me all the awards he got for his brave deeds.  
  
I miss him a lot.  
  
He defended the rights of this country.  
  
He defended the freedom of speech.  
  
The freedom of speech is one of America's most wonderful gifts to her citizens.  
  
I am sorry you don't understand that.  
  
I am sorry you feel the need to flame people.  
  
I am sorry your flame brought up painful memories.  
  
I am sorry you are too cowardly to flame with your real account.  
  
I am sorry you are so close-minded.  
  
I am sorry that I cannot do anything, but pity you for what you are La La La.  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 5  
  
Life in the steel wing clan was incredibly family and honor oriented. The particular steel wing that Hiei had killed whilst saving Keiko was the single brother of the clan leader. The surviving brother was driven into a vehement, red rage at the news of his brother's death. He had killed the messenger of this news, now he was to kill Hiei. Knowing that to help their leader in his quest would bring great reward; many of the clan had followed him.  
  
One of the larger steel wings, Tajoca, pushed Keiko out of his way and attacked Hiei. The clan leader hung back, waiting for the perfect moment to end his foe's life. Tajoca grabbed the fire demon's left arm and forced him against the tree using his colossal weight. However, the giant steel wing forgot Hiei's right arm. This mistake ended his life as Hiei slashed Tajoca's stomach open using his kanata.  
  
Keiko watched in horror as the many steel wings rushed Hiei. Although Hiei was many times more skilled at the art of killing then the steel wings, he was greatly outnumbered. Together, steel wings were one of the most deadly predators of Makai forests. Many stories were told of their ferocity.  
  
These stories were true, as Hiei soon found out. He was without room to properly swing his sword, without time to ignite the flame that continually burned in him and release it on these fiends. Add all that to the fact the damned beasts could fly and one could easily see the fire demon was at a disadvantage. With almost no time to dodge their attacks, Hiei managed to strike them one at a time with his fists, kill one even, if he was lucky, but so far he had only killed four of the fifteen how had attacked him. This was not even counting the leader, the best fighter of the steel wings, who still hide in the trees.  
  
Keiko's mind raced. She was frightened, she wanted to run, a small part of her also wanted to help, but fear had paralyzed her. She continued watching the bloodshed. After a while, she didn't know how long since she had long ago lost track of time, only five remained. Hiei had been hurt rather severely when Tajoca had smashed him up against a tree, but now he was obviously winning the fight.  
  
The clan leader saw this. The fire demon was not expecting more fighters. He would not be prepared for a fresh demon that had yet to lose blood this night. The leader knew he would win. A devious smirk formed on his face as he dived down from his place in the tree. He knew nothing could stop him from killing his brother's murderer. Nothing.  
  
Keiko saw the steel wing fly from his hiding place towards Hiei. Something in her stirred. Something primal. Something that had forever been hers, been she had never had access to. Until now.  
  
A liquid heat, hotter then the burning bowls of hell now coursed through her veins. Adrenaline pumping, she ran towards Hiei. She had no plan, no idea what she was doing. All she knew was that she was there. All that guided her was instinct.  
  
Her heart raced, her speed quickened. She was flying, she was soaring. Now she knew what she was doing. She was fulfilling her purpose in life. She was becoming what fate had intended her to be.  
  
Now in front of her loomed the dark form of the steel wing. One thought and one thought alone flooded Keiko's mind.  
  
Kill.  
  
With a calm demeanor that might have alarmed her had she been aware, Keiko jumped on the steel wing. The act of unbalancing him caused the steel wing to hit the ground. Keiko jumped off his back as he reached up to slash her. She then raised one hand up to the now black sky. A green energy formed from her hand and consumed her entire body. The brightness of the green brilliance alone was amazing, but the power it radiated was by far the more overwhelming of the two.  
  
After the luminescence had left her body, a new Keiko stood in front of the steel wing. She was two inches shorter now. Her hair reached to the small of her back and black with a purple shine to it. Her eyes were an acidic green. She now had two huge fangs protruding from her mouth and razor sharp claws where there were once normal human nails. Her skin had changed the most however. Her peach blossom skin was now the same shad of purple found on a royal orchid.  
  
Unknowing, uncaring, the steel wing charged at Keiko, temporarily forgetting his main target in his annoyance at having hit the ground. She simply stood there, waiting for him to come to her. Once he was close enough, Keiko leaped to the side and dug her claws into his back. The steel wing screeched and tried to turn around. Keiko did not let him. She opened her mouth and bit down on his exposed neck. She then quickly let go of his flesh and vaulted away.  
  
It was no longer necessary for Keiko to watch her opponent. He could barely move as it was. Stumbling about like a drunken human, he tried to fight Keiko. Instead he fell dead at her feet. Not because of the scratches and bite marks on his surface, he had suffered much worse before; it was because of the poison.  
  
Hiei had managed to defeat the five remaining steel wings awhile ago. He had seen Keiko's fight. He had seen the way the steel wing had been killed. The fire demon could tell because the scars were a sickening green. Hiei knew what Keiko was.  
  
"Cobra demon." He whispered as Keiko fell to the ground. 


	6. Almost Demon

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Yu Hakusho, I would insist Cartoon net work stop playing the first few episodes and move on!  
  
Author's Note to the Reviewers: First off I would like to thank everyone who has supported me and defended me from La La La. Then I would like to thank everyone in general who reviewed. It really means a lot to me! Thank you everyone!  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 6  
  
Keiko sluggishly opened her eyes. She paused for a moment to adjust her eyes to the bright light that greeted her and then propped her body up with her elbows. In front of her was the dark form of Hiei. Would there ever be a time he was not awake before her?  
  
Hiei was leaning against the trunk of the tree, watching her. Instead of his usual gaze of cold indifference, he was looking at her with what might have passed for awe, maybe even confusion. Of course it was very hard to see it, a few days earlier and Keiko wouldn't have been able to notice it. It was there however, no matter how slight.  
  
"How did you do it?" Asked Hiei, his monotone laced with traces urgency.  
  
"What? No 'Good morning Keiko'?" She replied.  
  
Normally Keiko would know better then to taunt Hiei. It was like playing with fire, and as the saying goes, when you play with fire, you're apt to get burned. Unfortunately, Keiko had just woken up and, for some reason, felt terrible. Her head hurt and her body was sore.  
  
Hiei grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her face up to his. They were scarcely one inch apart. Keiko suddenly felt much more awake.  
  
"I have no time for this. Tell me how you turned changed into your demon form." Hissed Hiei in a deadly whisper.  
  
The events of last night fast-forwarded through her head. The entire evening was crystal clear, not one detail had been forgotten. Only, it had a dream-like quality to it. She remembered everything, just as it had happened, but she remembered it like she had been watching it on television. It was as if something had taken over her body and she had done nothing more, but sit back and observe.  
  
Something had taken over her body. A rush of exhilarant energy, blood- thirsty ferocity had filled her being. Her demonic side had been released. It had been set free, with all its wild and vicious glory intact from the years of containment that had been endured.  
  
"Keiko, tell me how you transformed when you aren't even a full demon yet. You're at least still one eighth human." Demanded Hiei, his voice destroying her concentration.  
  
"That's the first time he's said my name." Thought Keiko, but then decided it would be wise to answer Hiei before he became too impatient.  
  
"I saw something." Answered Keiko, trying to remember what exactly had triggered the release of her demonic self.  
  
"What did you see?" Questioned Hiei, he still had an iron grip on Keiko's shirt.  
  
"I saw . . . the demon coming after you . . . and then . . . it happened." Said Keiko after several seconds of silence.  
  
Hiei slowly let go of Keiko's shirt, allowing her to sink back into the position she had been in.  
  
"That was senseless thing to do." Said Hiei.  
  
"What?! I probably saved your life and all you can say is that I was being stupid?!" Yelled Keiko.  
  
The fire demon's face remained indifferent to her ranting.  
  
"Hn. It was an incredibly foolish thing for you to do. The transformation should have been the death of you. The fact that you killed the demon goes against nature itself. You should be dead." Stated Hiei.  
  
"You actually care?" Asked Keiko in a disbelieving voice.  
  
"There is only one reason I would care if you died. I would have wasted my time and that is all." Responded Hiei.  
  
His words stung, but Keiko was more annoyed then upset with him. This mildly surprised her, but in a rather pleasant way. She wasn't crying. It made her feel stronger. She relished this new feeling of self empowerment.  
  
"Alright, you don't care, but how could transforming kill me? I thought half demons could do it without any harm coming to them." Asked Keiko.  
  
"Most, not all half demons can change into their demon form. You're half cobra demon. Cobras are . . ." Said Hiei.  
  
"Cold blooded. So that's why my blood wouldn't merge." Finished Keiko.  
  
"Hn. A cobra is cold blooded. A cobra demon's blood is poisonous rather then cold." Added Hiei.  
  
"But, then, how did I kill that demon? I wasn't even cut once that day." Interrogated Keiko.  
  
Keiko was either too caught up in the current position, or totally ignorant of what had just taken place. She had just admitted to killing a living, breathing thing. Even if it had been a demon, she had just ended something's existence.  
  
When she had been ten years old, her family's restaurant had been infested with mice. Her foster father, who she had believed to be her real father at the time, had put out mouse traps. Not the humane kind either.  
  
She wasted an entire weekend finding the mice and releasing them into a field. Two days of searching the darkest corners, the dustiest stairs, the smallest back room and all for a bunch of rodents. That was how much death had bothered her.  
  
But now, Keiko had killed something that had laughed, cried, yelled and was capable of intelligent thoughts. Yet, she was devoid of guilt. She didn't experience any of the regret, any of the remorse, any of the depression that should have burdened her soul.  
  
No, instead she felt strong. A sense of pride and confidence that she never had before now existed in her being. However, she took no notice of the psychological changes in her, the physical one were so much more intriguing at the present.  
  
"Hn. When cobra demons change into their most powerful state, their nails and teeth carry a deadly poison." Answered Hiei.  
  
"Amazing. So even the smallest of scratches could kill an opponent?" Asked Keiko.  
  
"Within a given amount of time, it could, unless the victim was given the cure." Said Hiei.  
  
"There's a cure?" Inquired Keiko.  
  
"Hn."  
  
Keiko perceived this as a sarcastic yes.  
  
"What's the cure?!"  
  
"No one knows because cobra demons rarely ever save anyone they poison. Even when they do, the victims never tell, unless they want to die." Replied Hiei.  
  
Keiko sighed. She knew so very little about her own body, her own life. She knew what kind of demon she was, but, beyond that . . . practically nothing. She was in the dark. Surrounded by mysteries.  
  
Two weeks ago, or, had it been two years ago? Had she not been laughing with her friends at lunch? About what, she couldn't remember, but that was beside the point. Just two weeks ago she had been a normal teenager. Her biggest problems had been keeping Yusuke under control and getting good grades.  
  
Now she was about seven eighths cobra demon. She was learning to fight, to kill. She was in the Makai. She was in a place that no humans, with a few exceptions, knew existed. Even if humans did find out about this place, they would never believe in it. Hell, she was a mythological creature! That's how screwed up her life was.  
  
A soft growling noise from her own body interrupted her reverie. She blushed, as she was sure that Hiei could hear it.  
  
And now, she was hungry.  
  
Hiei got up and looked at her. Taking the hint, Keiko did the same. She knew where they were going. Hiei was headed for the stream. They were going fishing.  
  
Keiko desperately wished they didn't have to eat fish. Excluding some roots and berries, it was all they ate because any land herbivore that was still living had a reason for it. Keiko felt like she would do anything for a salty, steaming bowl of ramen right then.  
  
Even so, despite its dangers and primitiveness, Keiko had grown fond of the Makai. The air, when it didn't carry the scent of blood, was much cleaner. The stars, sky and sun were ten times more beautiful. Also, she enjoyed the tranquility.  
  
Cities of human domain were deafening. Shrill sirens, noisy pedestrians, blaring car horns. Even with her human ears all that noise had bothered her. When she went back, it would certainly take a while to adjust.  
  
When she went back . . .  
  
"Of course I'm going back!" Thought Keiko.  
  
She just couldn't leave all her friends and family behind! It would be insane. What would she do with her life here, in the Makai, anyway? Live in the forest for the remainder of her days, picking a fight with the occasional demon? Not this cobra demoness!  
  
"So, I have no choice but to go back to the human region." Thought Keiko, her mind made up.  
  
However, this too brought up a number of problems. Yes that was where all her friends and family were, but was that necessarily a good thing? When she has the ability to go back to the place of her birth, she would be returning as a demon, a monster. How would they react if they ever found out? She was becoming a completely different species from everyone she was close too.  
  
"Except Hiei-What?! I don't consider him close! Well, he has helped me a few times; I guess that does qualify him for the 'friend' category." Begrudgingly thought Keiko.  
  
She stared at the fire demon she had deemed worthy of her 'friend' category. So he wasn't the friendliest person in the three worlds and seven hells. He was loyal, you could depend on him. Wasn't that the foundation of friendship?  
  
Finally they had reached the stream. Hiei was in waist deep catching fish with his bare hands. He didn't bother rolling up his pants; after all, he was a fire demon. Water had a phobia of being near his body.  
  
Keiko gathered wood to cook the fish with. Having collected enough wood, she went to the bank of the stream to fetch some roots. As soon as she reached the water, Keiko saw something that made her gasp.  
  
Staring back at Keiko from the surface of the water was her reflection. Only, it didn't look anything like her.  
  
Keiko hadn't actually seen herself in her demon form, but during the process of transforming, she had a vague idea of what she had looked like. Nevertheless, the image in the water was neither her demon form, nor her human one.  
  
Her hair was a dark, dark brown with only a miniscule amount of purple tint to it. Her eyes were their former chocolate brown on the outside, but mostly they were now an acidic green. In her parted mouth she could see two small, but very pointy fangs where there had been none before. These were the only differences this 'form' had with Keiko's human appearance.  
  
"Hn."  
  
At the sound of Hiei's trademark saying, Keiko practically jumped a foot in the air. After she had gotten over the initial shock of Hiei standing right beside her and her not knowing it, she glared at him. People with lightning fast speed should be force to wear collars with bells on them.  
  
"What are you doing?" Hiei asked.  
  
His question was not out of curiosity, it was more out of wanting to know the level of her sanity. She was, after all, staring at her own reflection as if she had never seen it before. Keiko could tell from his tone of voice he thought she had lost it. She chose it ignore it this time and instead pointed to her reflection.  
  
"Why do I look like this? I mean, this isn't how I looked in my demon form or my human form!" Said Keiko.  
  
"It's your new humanoid form, almost." Said Hiei, as it was all very simple and obvious.  
  
Keiko paused for several seconds. She was trying to understand what Hiei had just told her. Yet, she could not. His answer made no sense whatsoever. Hiei would have rolled his eyes had such an action not been beneath him. This girl could not be as intelligent as everyone claimed her to be if she could not grasp this one, simple concept.  
  
"More advanced demon types have two forms. Their demon form and their humanoid form. The demon form is more powerful-"  
  
"But I already have a human form!" Interrupted Keiko.  
  
"Hn. A 'human' form. This is different. If you had been born a full blooded cobra demon, this is how your humanoid from would have looked. However, you're still part human. Your humanoid form will continue to change until everything that makes you human leaves your body." Said Hiei before getting up to gut the fish and start the fire.  
  
Keiko continued looking at her face. She touched one of her cheeks. Her identity was being thrown out the window, and at this tender age. She was becoming, no, she was a different person. Keiko rubbed her temples and then went back to searching for roots.  
  
If her life was going to hell in a hand basket, she might as well have a half decent meal along the way. Both Keiko and Hiei ate in silence. Keiko because she considered it rude to talk with her mouth full. Hiei because he preferred silence to mindless chatter.  
  
"Hey, Hiei?"  
  
"Damn." Thought the fire demon  
  
"How come no one ever found out I was half demon before? I thought you could sense energy or something like that." Questioned Keiko, as she tried to delicately tare a piece of meat off her fish.  
  
Hiei had to think about that question for a while. In all honesty, it had been plaguing his mind for a while now too.  
  
"You never learned to fight, use spirit energy or control your own. You lived in a completely human environment." Answered Hiei.  
  
"So, it's like birds that grow up thinking their humans because that's what raised them." Said Keiko.  
  
"Hn. Might be, although, there were some hints you were a demon . . ." Muttered Hiei.  
  
"Hints? What hints?" Asked Keiko, her attention having been captured.  
  
"It makes sense now that I think of it. I knew the ferry girl couldn't have lasted as long as she did. The only reason that she didn't die and Keiko become a low class demon was because she was already part demon. That's why the shadow sword didn't work." Thought Hiei, ignoring Keiko's presence.  
  
"Tell me!" Shouted Keiko.  
  
Hiei growled at her, but then told the story to her, knowing that if he didn't, the pestering would never cease. All females seemed to be like that.  
  
Keiko looked stunned when he had finished his tale. Almost as if she had never known it had taken place.  
  
"But, then you, and Yusuke . . . how could, Kurama, what did . . . how?" Rambled Keiko.  
  
Hiei watched with some fascination as Keiko's face went from ghostly pale to almost beet red. Her face had changed colors faster then, what had Kurama called it? A traffic light.  
  
"You, you IDIOT!" Screamed Keiko before hitting Hiei upside the head with a branch that had not yet caught fire, "I'm going to KILL you!"  
  
Hiei rubbed his head and growled. How dare Keiko hit him! She took no notice of him though, she was too busy pacing and ranting. In fact, she was so busy ranting, she didn't notice herself transforming into her demonic form. Unfortunately, neither did Hiei.  
  
Hiei was not at all pleased that Keiko wasn't even acknowledging his existence. He grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him. Keiko hadn't been expecting this and let her instinct take over. She let her attacker turn her body, and then slashed the side of his face.  
  
Time stopped.  
  
Her 'attacker' had been Hiei. They both stood there, shocked. Then Keiko saw it.  
  
The scar on his face was acid green. 


	7. Knocking On Death's Door

Disclaimer: *Sigh* No, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I hope to someday!  
  
Author's Notes: Well, I've got some reviews I would like to respond to. So, just find your name, read my response to your question and/or comment and then you can continue with the next chapter!  
  
To NickeyWhite2: I know this was a review from chapter 4, but I thought I'd answer it anyway. Cobras are poisonous snakes and demons are mythological creatures. Demons, in this case anyway, are humanoid being that share characteristics with an animal, plant or element. Also, they have supernatural abilities. So, a cobra demon is a humanoid being with characteristics similar to a cobra. Thanks for the review! Glad you like my story!  
  
To Ale-Bloody-Roses: Well, I've had loads of practice being evil. Please don't make Mr. Quackers destroy my school stuff! I've already got a 'C' in P.E. How you get a 'C' in P.E. I'll never know . . . Anyway, thanks for the compliments!  
  
To Midnight Lilly: Maybe she is, and maybe she isn't. You'll just have to read to find out! Thanks for the review. I love it when people try to guess what will happen next! It gives me ideas. I still haven't figured out if that's a good thing or a bad thing though . . .  
  
To Jen: YAY! I'm so glad you love this story to death!  
  
To SSJ Inuyasha: Why yes it IS a cliffhanger! Don't you just hate me? Oh, and don't worry about Yusuke. I would never leave such an important part of the story out!  
  
To Reno Spiegel: ^___^ I know I pick the worst times to end a chapter, but you got to admit, it'll make it that much more interesting!  
  
To asian princess 61: I'm working on the chapters! See, I'm typing right now! Glad you like Hiei/Keiko too!  
  
To Queen Death Dragon: Okay, okay, okay! I'm working on it! I'm so happy that you like my story!  
  
To Kaneda-Shotaro: Eep! I'm continuing! Happy now?! Thanks for the review and for the note on my grandfather.  
  
To Yukiko-sama: Aw, thanks! I'm getting all warm and gushy from the compliments.  
  
To Alex Warlorn: Hmm, your reviews are rather bitter-sweet, but I don't mind. Most of the stuff you have motioned in your review I'm already aware and/or prepared for. I didn't just plunge into this story you know. I actually planned this out for weeks before I even did the fist chapter! Hell, I even have a storyline in my work book. That is a *big* step for me, usually I just write the first thing that pops into this thick skull of mine. Then after the first three chapters I'm stuck. As for why Keiko is worried about her friends not accepting her, just think about it. I did my best to try and make her character fit the situation.  
  
To J-sama: Ack! Don't bite your nails! I'm glad you like my story, but at the rate it takes me to update, you'll probably have gnawed off all your fingers by now. Glad you like my story so much!  
  
To Lady.CaT-eyes/K: You and your friend are too kind! I'm glad you like the story and don't worry; the flame won't stop me from writing!  
  
To Soul: Well, We're on the same wave link, but that's not so much romantic as it is just plain icky! Don't worry, the overall result is similar. I might have actually used your idea, had I not already had this chapter written.  
  
To everyone: I swear, if I could, I would jump into my computer and hug everyone who reviewed! You guys are the BEST! Oh yeah, if you have any more questions and/or concerns, don't be afraid to ask!  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 7  
  
The sound of the rushing water, the crackling of the fire, it had all been drowned out by the beating of Keiko's heart. The world had dropped away and that was left was herself, Hiei . . .  
  
And the scar on Hiei's face.  
  
It wasn't bleeding. The only way one would have know it was infected was by the color that sharply contrasted with the fire demon's skin. Keiko could feel her legs give away as she sat on the ground.  
  
Hiei remained standing.  
  
Keiko desperately wished to say that she was sorry, to get up and think of a cure, to try and do something. Anything. Unfortunately, she was paralyzed. Nothing short of a God could have moved her from that spot in that point in time.  
  
Something flickered in Hiei's eyes and then he sat down, cross-legged, in front of Keiko. He looked tired, as if he had been on a long journey and now it was time for it to end. He stared into Keiko's eyes. His red, now somewhat glassy gaze washed over her, loosening the hold her shock had over her body.  
  
Keiko shuddered involuntarily, she didn't like the way he looked at her, for it was a look of defeat.  
  
"Keiko," Whispered Hiei.  
  
His speech was understandable, despite the fact he was whispering and it was a tiny bit slurred. The poison was wasting no time sucking the life from him. Keiko felt tears begin to form, trying to deny these were to be his last words in this life.  
  
"I need you, to take this," He said, pulling something off his neck.  
  
Keiko numbly stuck out her hand and took the object from Hiei's shaking hand.  
  
"Give it to Yukina and don't tell her who gave it to you; tell her, that her brother . . . is dead." He said before lying down completely.  
  
Keiko was confused for a few seconds. Then it clicked.  
  
"You're . . . you're Yukina's brother!" Said Keiko, snapping out of her frozen state.  
  
Hiei closed his eyes and smirked.  
  
"What makes you think that?" He whispered.  
  
This frightened Keiko more then anything that had happened so far. If Hiei was cracking jokes, then he was most certainly about to die.  
  
"Oh Hiei, don't die. Don't die now! There's still a cure! You can still give this to Yukina yourself!" Said Keiko, who was now back in her humanoid form and crying.  
  
"Hn. You have less then a minute to find the antidote. So, I'm already dead." Answered Hiei.  
  
Keiko got up and started to pace. She tried to think back on everything that had happened, trying to find something to help her. From when her mother had told her about her heritage, to this moment. She had nothing.  
  
55 seconds  
  
She then reached back even farther into the depths of her mind. She recalled on a hiking trip once, she had to learn to draw out a snake's poison. The first way was a poultice. The second was to somehow force the poison out.  
  
45 seconds  
  
She shook her head. Demon poison could not possibly be drawn out using simple human methods! Could it?  
  
40 seconds  
  
Keiko sat next to Hiei and touched the green wound she had inflicted on him. It was closed up and his skin was ice cold. Not a good sign for anybody, especially a fire demon.  
  
30 seconds  
  
Her mind was screaming at her to think of something. Could she stop the poison from entering his eternal organs? Control it somehow?  
  
25 seconds  
  
No. It had already spread throughout his body. There was no way she could force it out unless . . .  
  
20 seconds  
  
Unless . . .  
  
19 seconds  
  
Unless the element she controlled was poison!  
  
18 seconds  
  
Yes! It made sense! She was a cobra demon, her power was her poison. She should be able to control it!  
  
17 seconds  
  
Keiko placed both hands on Hiei's heart, where all the poison would eventually circulate to.  
  
16 seconds  
  
"Please let this work!" Prayed Keiko.  
  
15 seconds  
  
Keiko concentrated on the poison in Hiei's body and nothing more. All she thought of was gathering it all into one place.  
  
14 seconds  
  
Nothing was happening! Keiko was starting to panic.  
  
13 seconds  
  
Before she could remove her hands, they started to glow with a green light. Her spirit energy. It slowly engulfed her entire body.  
  
12 seconds  
  
Following some sort of divine guidance or more likely, instinct Keiko closed her eyes.  
  
11 seconds  
  
In the darkness, she could see bright green splotches. Most of them were in the heart, like she had anticipated.  
  
10 seconds  
  
Calling on every once of strength she had, Keiko tried to bring all of the lethal fluids to where her hands were.  
  
9 seconds  
  
Almost there . . .  
  
8 seconds  
  
She had done it! All of the poison was beneath her hands.  
  
7 seconds  
  
Keiko opened her eyes. Quickly she guided the poison with her hands to Hiei's throat.  
  
6 seconds  
  
Hiei closed his eyes tighter. Apparently, having poison forcefully moved from one point in the body from another was a painful experience.  
  
5 seconds  
  
Keiko tried to move the poison more gently though his body and as rapidly as possible. Speed and gentleness were two things that were exceedingly hard to do together.  
  
4 seconds  
  
Keiko had all the poison located in Hiei's throat. She lifted up his body so he could spit it out when she forced it in his mouth.  
  
3 seconds  
  
The process of controlling the poison when it was at a downhill angle proved to be too difficult for Keiko. She was losing control of the poison; it would soon flood back into Hiei's body and end his life. There was only one thing she could do now.  
  
2 seconds  
  
"Please don't kill me for this Hiei." Whispered Keiko.  
  
1 second  
  
Keiko lowered her mouth to his. She parted his lips and pressed her own to them. They were frigid. She was shaking from the knowledge of knowing this was very much a forbidden thing to do. None the less, it had to be done. Using her lips, she drew the poison out of Hiei's mouth and into her own. She felt oddly excited from kissing Hiei. It was thrilling, like breaking a school rule and completely getting away with it.  
  
0 seconds  
  
She removed her lips and spat the poison out of her mouth. It landed on the ground, where it began to eat away at it, like acid. Keiko shuddered. She sat there for a minute or two, panting from the exhaustion of what she had done. While she was resting she thought how ironic it was that her first kiss and this, her second kiss, had both been to save the lives of two young men. Well, in Yusuke's case at least, she didn't know how old Hiei was.  
  
She glanced at Hiei. He wasn't moving. Keiko feared the worst as she crawled up to him. Putting her head to her chest, she heard a faint beating and slow, shallow breathing. He was alive, at least for the moment.  
  
Keiko carefully moved him as close to the fire as possible without setting him aflame. Then she searched for something to cover him up. Finding nothing, she chose to sit next to him instead, to lend him her body heat.  
  
Without a doubt, this was the most terrifying thing she had ever been through. Also it had been the most tiring, next to Hiei's training program. She was covered in red colored sweat. If she wasn't all demon now, then she didn't know what it would take to make her one.  
  
Keiko looked at a strand of her hair. It was black as night, minus the purplish tint when the sunlight hit it just right. Her hair was still the same length as her human hair was. Therefore, this must be her new humanoid form. Her original human form was forever gone. It didn't bother Keiko as much as she thought it would have.  
  
Keiko knew she was all demon now or incredibly close to it. She could go back to the human world soon. She would be with her family and friends once more.  
  
"But what if this happens again?" Thought Keiko.  
  
That presented a serious problem. What would she do if this happened again? Extracting the poison from Hiei had been unbelievably hard! Worse yet, it had only been a very small amount and Hiei was a demon.  
  
Had she inflicted this wound on a human, they wouldn't have lasted as long. In fact, they would have died instantly. Even with her new attitude about death, Keiko could not live with herself knowing she had taken an innocent life.  
  
Keiko laid herself down next to Hiei. Yes, she would have to stay here until she mastered her new found powers. Maybe even find out if she had any special techniques. Even though it would mean being away from her friends and family for longer then necessary. She knew it was the right thing to do. She had to master her power.  
  
Keiko turned her head so she could look at Hiei. He seemed alright. Heat was returning to his body and he was still breathing. His breathing was still short and rasping, but it seemed to be a little stronger then before.  
  
Keiko looked up to the sky. It was still morning and the sun was shinning, but she was ready to sleep. Keiko looked at Hiei one last time. Just looking at him made her feel that strange, but exhilarating feeling. Her eyelids fluttered and then she was asleep. Side by side with a fire demon that had tried to turn her into a zombie a while ago and she had nearly killed just now.  
  
Funny, how life works out sometimes. 


	8. Demonic Urges

Disclaimer: -- No I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho! Will someone please give it to me for Christmas though? *Sniff* Pretty please?  
  
Author's Notes: ^___^ I'm so happy everyone loves my story! Well, I just thought I'd do more review responses because . . . um . . . I just feel like it!  
  
To Jen: Mondays suck! I'm glad I was able to make yours better. Mine just plain sucked, well, up until I got all these lovely reviews. Thanks Jen!  
  
To Queen Death Dragon: You think I keep the YYH in character?! YAY! Thank you!  
  
To Reno Spiegel: Irony, huh? Well, don't worry; this will be a GREAT chapter! Glad you like the story!  
  
To NickyWhite2: Aw, you're welcome! Just happy I could be of service!  
  
To BakaKitsuneGirl: You're not insane! Thinking of different ways a story (or in this case, chapter) could end is actually a sign of intelligence. I'm grateful that you gave me such a nice review even though you're a die hard Kurama/Hiei fan.  
  
To Kaneda-Shotaro: Ack! Don't torture the authoress! I can't write when I'm half-dead. Something about bleeding profusely when I'm trying to write just puts me off, you know? Well, actually in truth I was going to kill Hiei and then bring him back miraculously, but then everyone would try and kill me for that and . . . yeah, not a good idea.  
  
To LilyKitsune: *Glomps LilyKitsune back* YAY! I'm glad you love the story! Don't worry, I'll try to update!  
  
To BlackFire13: Well, I won't say this is the best story . . . actually, yes I would. Just kidding! I'm happy you like and you are a *prime* example of why I didn't let Hiei die. I'm getting enough threats as it is just to continue . . .  
  
To Inuyasha SSJ: You were on the edge of your seat?! Dang, it's a good thing the last chapter wasn't too long or else you might have fallen off! Then you might sue me for making your butt sore. Nowadays you can sue for just about anything . . . anyway, glad you like the story!  
  
To Black Gem: You check everyday?! And you didn't review till now?! *Fumes* I'm just playing with your head! I don't mind, but I still love good reviews, it makes me update faster! Thanks for the praise!  
  
To Danger Kitty #1: Yep. This is a Hiei/Keiko story. Glad you like it so much!  
  
DeMoNic GigGleS: Glad you love the story! ^___^ And don't worry, I don't like mushrooms, dry or fresh. Gracias amiga!  
  
Soul: You were cracking up during the Hiei-making-jokes-during-his-life-and- death experience?! To be perfectly honest, I was too when I re-read it. I thought it really brought something to the story, it spiced it up a little like rosemary does with lamb. On the note about the rest of the gang, don't worry, I'll get to them soon enough. Thanks for the great review!  
  
lia-goddess: *Hugs lia-goddess back* I'm glad you love the story and I CAN'T WAIT til you update! I can't believe you think I'm an exception! Happy day!  
  
To J-sama: Holy crap! You're the only one who actually mentioned the kiss thing (so far)! I'm so glad you like the story and I might do something in Hiei's pov now that you have suggested it.  
  
To Ale-Bloody-Roses: YAY! I'm so happy you love this story! I can't believe you converted to Hiei/Keiko-ism because of it! *Sniff* That's just so *Sniff* kind of you! Hmm, maybe we should do a "People Who Actually Manage To Get 'C's In P.E. Anonymous" although I think we'd be the only members ^___^' Feliz Dia de Los Tres Reis y Feliz Navidad to you to Ale! Wait a second; do you celebrate the Day of the Three Kings? They might only do that in Spain, I'm not sure. Well anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  
  
To Sanosuke Hidane: It was close, wasn't it? Glad you like!  
  
To Lady.CaT-eys/K: ^___^' I swear I tried to make this chapter as non- cliffhanger-y as possible! I'll also try to update sooner. Glad you like my story!  
  
To rogue solus: Thank you and I'm trying to update sooner!  
  
To Makulit: Yukina, hmmm, good idea! I'll think about it . . .  
  
To Everyone: Thank you all soooooo much for the reviews! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, Happy Santa Lucia, Happy Day of the Kings, Happy Winter Equinox and Happy Anything I missed!  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 8  
  
Her eyes snapped open and the first thing she did was check on the fire demon. She didn't have to look far, during her sleep she had unconsciously snuggled up to him. Keiko quickly removed her body from his, all the while blushing a dark crimson. Imagine if he had woken up first!  
  
Keiko once again placed her head on his chest. Hiei was warm, breathing regularly and his heart was beating at a steady rate. The cobra demon sighed in relief.  
  
She looked up at the sky; it was a bluish-black, speckled with luminance stars and a glowing full moon. Standing up, she stretched her body and then walked over to the stream. By dipping a hand into the stream, Keiko found the water to be even chillier then it was in the daytime.  
  
So, instead of taking an actual bath like she had wanted to, Keiko crudely scrubbed the sticky dry sweat off her body. During that time, she studied her reflection in the water. Keiko's hair was blacker then the sky around her, except for when it shone bright purple in the light. Her eyes held no trace of brown; they were now solid acid green. She smiled back at her reflection, thus revealing two pointy teeth that she believed to be her 'fangs'. They were longer then Hiei's, but there were only two.  
  
Now that she was clean, or as clean as could become out here, Keiko decided to go back to the fire.  
  
She glanced at her reflection one last time.  
  
"What? Oh no! No, no, no! This can't be happening!" Thought Keiko.  
  
But it was. Keiko was two inches shorter.  
  
All the other changes could be explained. Contacts, hair dye, freak dentist accident, but how would she explain her loss of two inches?! Hiei was taller then her now, even if it was only by a half inch.  
  
Somehow, Keiko didn't think an 'I'm not shorter, you're taller!' was going to cut it. Perhaps she should just tell everyone she had been wearing heels this entire time. As long as she didn't have to tell anyone the truth, she really didn't care what people believed.  
  
The truth was more bizarre then the lies. No one but three, maybe six, people would guess what was really happening. Yusuke, Boton and Koemma would be the most likely to believe her. Yukina, Kuwabara and Kurama, on the other hand, would need some convincing. Kuwabara because of his physic abilities, but as long as she kept a low profile on her spirit energy and aura, he wouldn't suspect a thing. Keiko worried about Yukina because she was a healer and could also sense something different in her aura, especially something as drastic as this. Out of everyone, Keiko worried about Kurama the most.  
  
He was the most intelligent of the Spirit Detectives and knew more about demons then all of spirit world combined. Having over one thousand years experience could do that to a person, Keiko decided. She would have to be careful not to trip up around him. One moment's hesitation, one little detail forgotten, one false step and her secret would be blown out of the water.  
  
Just thinking this made her head pound. Life was getting too complicated.  
  
"I could just tell them what's happening . . ." Considered Keiko.  
  
But Keiko knew she would never tell them. She knew what would happen. They would treat her differently. They would pity her, if they didn't hate her.  
  
Keiko clenched her fist. She didn't want their pity. Despite her reaction to when she first found out about her heritage, Keiko was now proud of what she had become. She enjoyed the new found strength, her improved senses and the power. Yes, she enjoyed the power most of all.  
  
And it was unlimited.  
  
Her human body had built in limits, no matter how hard she tried; there would always be the insurmountable limits. Now, she had no limits. All she had to do was reach for what she wanted.  
  
And she could seize it.  
  
Happy that her thoughts had been sorted out, Keiko returned to the fire, a satisfied smirk gracing her face. When she sat down, Keiko was greeted by another tsunami of thoughts.  
  
Whether it had been fate, the Gods or just coincidence, Keiko didn't know, nor did she care. She was to busy concentrating on the fire demon she sitting next to. Her body was less then five inches away from his. Keiko had again acquired that odd tingling feeling.  
  
Unconsciously, Keiko licked her lips. She scanned his body from head to toe, eyes finally resting on his face, but not before she had paused a good many times on other parts of Hiei's physique. Forbidden thoughts and fantasies danced on the edges of her mind.  
  
"What am I doing?!" Keiko thought, the red light finally going off in her head.  
  
The cobra demon turned her head away from the fire demon, but then went back to studying him a second later. Her body urged her to do something, anything. It was scary; Keiko never had such a strong craving for the opposite sex before. Could it be a side effect from becoming a demon? It most likely was.  
  
"No! Hiei is my friend at best, Yusuke is the one I lov-" But, Keiko could not finish her thought because . . .  
  
She wasn't sure if it was true.  
  
When had Yusuke ever referred to her as anything more then a friend?  
  
She could not recall a single time he had.  
  
When had he ever done something for her without Keiko having to coax him into it for hours on end?  
  
Never.  
  
Did he make lewd comments?  
  
Yes, he did it quite a bit.  
  
Was he childish?  
  
Of course he was. It used to be cute, how he would act, but he needed to be a little more serious sometimes.  
  
However, what made Hiei, of all people, more appealing then Yusuke?  
  
Surprisingly, this didn't take nearly as long as Keiko thought it would to answer. When you looked hard enough, one would see that Hiei had many good qualities.  
  
He was dark, mysterious and handsome. You could trust him. He wasn't juvenile. He acted with a degree of dignity. Hiei was complex and interesting.  
  
Yes, Hiei had many endearing qualities to him, but he also had many negative ones as well. He's reluctance to talk for one.  
  
Keiko was willing to look past this. She had managed to make him speak before, it wasn't so hard, he just didn't care for idle chit-chat. Neither did she for that matter. When she wanted to know something, she wanted a straight answer. No beating around the bush.  
  
That was why she beat on Yusuke so many times. He never could give her a straight answer. Always he must elaborate, change, and add to his excuses, stories and explanations.  
  
Keiko looked down at Hiei. During this time, she had learned to love his company. They had faced many dangers, he had been there for her through all of them and she had been there for him.  
  
"Could I actually . . . have a . . . crush on Hiei?" Thought Keiko.  
  
Absurd as it might sound; Keiko knew she had a crush on him. She had known it for a while now, truth be told. At first she was sad. Upset by the fact she could no longer care for what she had believed to be her lifelong love more then a friend. These thoughts were quickly brushed aside, though.  
  
Had Keiko been thinking a little more rationally, she might have realized this change in her love life was incredibly sudden. She might have found out that something was not entirely right with this interest in Hiei, but she did not. All she could think of was him right now and little else.  
  
Keiko lay down on her stomach and looked at the object of her desire. He looked so innocent in his sleep, so content and so at peace. He was two different people during sleep and when he was awake. She liked them both equally.  
  
Keiko was overcome by fantasies again. This time they were less intense. She kept focusing on how wonderful her lips had felt against his. She wondered if he remembered. Even though Hiei might kill her if he did, Keiko wanted him to remember.  
  
She wanted to kiss him. She wanted so badly to kiss him right then, but it would wake him up and she would die shortly afterward.  
  
"Why the hell not? I've already nearly killed him and kissed him once. I might as well have some fun before I die." Thought Keiko.  
  
Seeing this was indeed logical, at least in her mind, Keiko got a little closer to the fire demon. Her heart was beating against her ribcage in anticipation of the moment to come. She looked over him once more and slowly lowered her head.  
  
"Hey! Hiei!"  
  
"Yo, shrimp! Where are you?!"  
  
"Holy SHIT!" Thought Keiko as she bolted up.  
  
Only two people in all three worlds could make that much noise.  
  
Only two people she knew could have timing that impeccable.  
  
Only two people she knew would be stupid enough to yell at the top of their lungs in a Makai forest.  
  
Those two people could only be . . .  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara.  
  
"Oh shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" Thought Keiko.  
  
This was bad. This was not only bad, this was a disaster. This was about as close to an apocalypse as you could get!  
  
Instead of fulfilling her daydreams, Keiko started to shake Hiei awake.  
  
"Get up Hiei!" Hissed Keiko.  
  
"Stop shaking me." Replied Hiei evenly as he sat up, "Now that I'm awake, we have something to discuss."  
  
"Not now! Shut up and listen!" Keiko said frantically.  
  
"No. We are going to . . . shit." Said Hiei as he too heard the voices calling his name, Kurama's voice joining them  
  
"My sentiments exactly, now what are we going to do?!" Asked Keiko, who was almost hysterical.  
  
"You hide behind that tree; I'll see what they want. After they leave, we are going to talk about that little incident, understood?" Said Hiei.  
  
Keiko nodded. Anything to avoid Yusuke.  
  
Keiko ran up to the tree with the thickest trunk. She jumped and, much to her surprise, jumped well over fifteen feet. She finally had all her demon powers, too bad she wasn't quite prepared for them yet.  
  
Thankfully, Keiko didn't scream, but it was a close thing. She landed on a solid branch and sat down, trying to cajole her heart out of her throat. She then lowered her spirit energy and aura as fast as possible. Hiei waited for the fellow members of the Reikai Tantei to find him.  
  
"Would it kill you to come to us for once, o-speedy-one?" Said Yusuke, jokingly of course.  
  
Hiei kept up his poker face.  
  
"Nah Urameshi, he'd probably get lost." Said Kuwabara.  
  
"Are you sure it's wise," Replied Hiei, "to bring immature children into the Makai?"  
  
"Why you little-" Said Kuwabara before Yusuke stopped him.  
  
"We're here Hiei, on a mission." Said Kurama.  
  
"What did the spirit brat mess up this time?" Asked Hiei.  
  
"Something about a family heirloom being stolen by a big shot demon named Bazikori. As usual, no pictures, no information, no idea if we'll win or not." Said Yusuke after he had bloodied Kuwabara up some.  
  
"It would be best if we left immediately. Koemma has a slight idea where Bazikori is located, but he could be on the move." Said Kurama.  
  
"Then let's go." Said Hiei.  
  
"'Let's go'?! What does he mean, 'let's go'?!" Thought Keiko, who had been eavesdropping this entire time  
  
She was starting to panic. Hiei was going off somewhere and leaving her stranded! She was considering revealing herself when she heard something.  
  
Something inside her head.  
  
"Keiko?" Said the voice.  
  
Really, it was more of a feeling then a voice. She sort of sensed this hot, fiery, dark sensation in her mind. Her mind could feel it more then hear it.  
  
"Hiei?" Responded Keiko mentally.  
  
Her voice had a tingling, smooth, metallic texture to it. She was fairly amazed that she could do this, whatever 'this' was. She assumed it was some kind of telepathic communication.  
  
"How can we or you really, do this? I didn't know you were physic!"  
  
"Hn. My jagan." Answered Hiei.  
  
"Oh, right." Said Keiko.  
  
"I'm leaving for a while. Stay where you are, in the forest." Said Hiei.  
  
Keiko wanted to argue, but she didn't really have a choice. Follow him and she might reveal herself to the others. That was a risk she was not yet willing to run.  
  
"Fine. Oh, and Hiei? Be careful." Said Keiko before the fire demon severed the link.  
  
Keiko just sat for a minute and let the fact that she was alone sink in. Then she went back to the fire and watched the fire burn down to embers, thinking of him.  
  
Less then half a mile away, a fire demon was doing pretty much the same thing.  
  
Lady BDF: Next time a chapter from Hiei's POV. Also, if any of you though Keiko's attraction to Hiei was a bit sudden, it will be explained soon enough. 


	9. Traveling Thoughts

Disclaimer: Disclaimers are about as fun as cutting your thumb off with a dull knife. No, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. *Is in pain*  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, I know that Keiko sudden love for Hiei is, well, sudden, but there *is* a reason why it's like that. You're going to have to wait for it though. The reason comes in later chapters though, so you'll be waiting for a while. ^___^' Please don't kill me . . .  
  
To mizustarangel: Yep. It was fast, but I do have one hell of a good reason for it! Thanks for the review!  
  
To An'ei no Tenshi: ^___^ Thank you! And yes, I think Hiei's hot too . . .  
  
To Queen Death Dragon: ^___^' Hehehe, please don't kill me QDD. The reason why she is so suddenly attracted comes in later chapters, not this one. Please don't kill me!  
  
To Jen: Aww, you're too kind! You're reviews always brighten my day! Thanks Jen!  
  
To BlackFire13: YAY! I'm glad you seem to enjoy this story so much! And don't you worry your 'lil head! Keiko is going to find *plenty* of things to do while Hiei's away.  
  
To Black Gem: I left someone speechless?! Woohoo! Go me! Thanks for the review!  
  
To Jokid: Thanks, that's nice of you to say so!  
  
To Danger Kitty #1: I'm supposed to tell you when I update every single time?! Oops. Sorry. Thanks for the review!  
  
To KawaiiKitsune: Cool! I'm a great writer chick! *Smiles* I don't have patience either. Whoever said it was a virtue should wait 'patiently' while we beat them over the head with sticks. Thanks for the review!  
  
To SSJ Inuyasha: Glad you like both the review and my comments! And don't worry *sigh* I'm doing the whole updating thing.  
  
To DeMoNic GigGleS: That's so nice of you! You're welcome and thank you for the compliments!  
  
To Kyra Windwood: ^___^ You're right, Hiei probably *did* get a headache from all of this! Hehe, thanks for the review!  
  
To LadyBlushaLot: ^___^ I can't believe my fic was your first YYH fic! YAYNESS! Glade you like so much!  
  
To Lady.CaT-eyes/K: Nope, I haven't gotten any reviews from KauliniFire, but I am glad that she pulled you in! Aren't obsessions fun?  
  
To Sanosuke Hidane: Dang, I hate it when the wires break. Glad you love my story! Your reviews fill the empty void in my life!  
  
To Reno Spiegel: . . . Kurama can get drunk?! O.O That's gotta be a sight to behold. Anyway, love it that you love the story and if you're confused, tell me about what! I hate it when people are confused.  
  
To lia-goddess: You reviewed my story at school?! Dang, in my hell-hole (aka school) that's like the numero uno sin. You'd think it was the eleventh commandment the way they go on about it. Still glad you reviewed though and I can't wait for you to update!  
  
To Lady Light: Aww thanks! You're too nice!  
  
To asian princess 61: I can read K/H fics, but I'm not too fond of them either, unless it's smut *hentai grin*. Glad you like and don't worry, this isn't K/H. I can't write yaoi . . . yet.  
  
To LilyKitsune: I know, Yusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara are evil for ruining it, but don't worry, I'll get to a yummy part soon enough . . . *Evil Grin* Thanks for the review!  
  
To hieitheone13: Thanks! Looking forward to your stories!  
  
To Kaneda-Shotaro: -- Gee, I feel all freaked out and morbid now. Just Kidding! ^^ Love the reviews! Thanks!  
  
To karigan: ^___^ Thank you! I'm glad you thought this chapter was funny and that you liked the romance stuff!  
  
To Spirit of FLAME: Amazingly enough, flare only copied my plot. Thank you for your support and kind words though!  
  
To J-sama: SQUEAL! That is an EXCELLENT idea! Thank you J-sama!  
  
To Alex Warlorn: What's your point? I know Yusuke only managed to save Keiko because she was in danger, but they are both very different people. Just because that's how Yusuke managed to save her doesn't mean that Keiko gets her strength the same way, especially now that she is a demon.  
  
To rogue solus: Thank you!!!  
  
To makulit: Yep, all that will be explained in time and thank you for all the lovely compliments!  
  
To Anonymous: Oh, thank you so much! I like it when people enjoy my insane ideas!  
  
To carson the critic: Aww, thank you!  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 9  
  
Hiei walked by his three companions in the dismal forest. The ground was covered in a thick blanket of red leaves. The wind stirred the leaves, making it seem like a scarlet ribbon had just pasted by them.  
  
But it wasn't autumn.  
  
What made these leaves red was the blood that had been splattered on them. And there was a great deal of it. Long before they had even entered this battlefield, the fire demon and fox spirit had registered the smell of mass death.  
  
A massacre had taken place here.  
  
It was most likely the demon they had come for. He had probably caused this destruction. It didn't take someone like Kurama to guess that the heirloom Koemma had lost was a potentially deadly one, even Kuwabara could see that. It was not this that bothered the fire demon though, nor was it the fact that no one could find any bodies.  
  
In fact, the nature of this worry was of another subject entirely.  
  
It was Keiko. That cobra demon was what bothered him. She had nearly killed him with her toxic nails. Granted it had been an accident, at least he thought it had been, but it was unwise of him to let his guard down. Like his first meeting with Yusuke, he had let his guard down and paid dearly for it.  
  
However, it was what happened after that confused him the most.  
  
He felt the poison work its way down to his heart, to finally end his miserable existence. At first, the pain had been immense, he had wanted to scream. Hiei held it in though; even then he refused to show any simulation of weakness.  
  
Then his body had gone numb.  
  
Hiei did not fear death. For as long as he could remember, he had lived with the possibility of each day being his last in the land of the living. Normally though, when he envisioned his death, he had seen himself die after a glorious victory. Yes, even Hiei had a death wish. He would die cold and alone.  
  
He would die a ruthless killer.  
  
So, one could imagine how odd it might seem to him that his end would be the result of a barely whole cobra demon scratching him. None the less, he was willing to except his fate. His mind had been clouded. Just breathing, let alone talking, was becoming a more and more strenuous effort. His body pleaded, no, begged for him to let go and sink into the inviting darkness that awaited him.  
  
But Hiei had one last thing he needed to do.  
  
He gave Keiko the necklace from Yukina. True, he would have rather not have given it to her at all and kept his secret, but . . . he owed it to Yukina. To at least bring her search to an end.  
  
Even if it wasn't a happy one.  
  
After that, he just waited for the poison to accomplish its task. For a fleeting moment, he worried for Keiko's safety in the demon realm, but that thought was soon smothered by the looming darkness. Hiei decided it must have been the toxins in his body, making him think that.  
  
And the pain began again.  
  
It hurt so much more this time. The fire demon wanted to voice this displeasure, but he was too weak. It felt, whatever this pain was from, like a serpent with spikes on its back was coursing through his blood stream. Then it stopped in his throat. The poison, he had guessed what it was, nearly choked him. Hiei had been faintly aware of something soft and gentle lifting up his head. The poison started to slide back down his throat.  
  
Then his entire world was thrown into chaos.  
  
Hiei had heard Keiko mumble something, but he knew it was too late for him. Only a second or two remained, his demise was inedible. The fire demon had sensed Keiko shifting . . . and that was when it had happened.  
  
She had kissed him, thus saving his life.  
  
Her lips were fiery hot against his abnormally frigid mouth. Forcing his jaw apart, she had managed to suck the poison into her own mouth. The entire experience was nothing short of shocking. Hiei had expected her to just let him die; after all, he had not been very kind to her. She risked his rage in order to save him.  
  
This puzzle was perplexing.  
  
Why had she saved him? Why did she save him in *that* way? Had there not been another way? Why hadn't he killed her right away for touching him in such an intimate manner?  
  
Why couldn't he answer these questions?  
  
This is what he had wanted to talk to Keiko about before. The fire demon may be many great things, but a master of emotions such as these, was not one of them. The fire demon scowled, he loathed it when he was not in complete control of his life. When he did not understand everything that was happening.  
  
"Hiei!" Yelled a voice.  
  
In front of the fire demon was none other then Yusuke Urameshi, waving a hand in his face. Apparently, Hiei had been more involved in his thoughts then he had believed himself to be. It was odd, because he almost always had one eye on the world around him. Although here, it was usually three eyes.  
  
"What?" Growled the fire demon.  
  
"You've been even more quite then usual, if that's possible. And Kuwabara has insulted you three times in the last five minutes." Said Yusuke, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"Why bother? It's not as if his puny mind would understand anything I said back." And with that, Hiei took to the trees. The curses of an outraged human following him.  
  
Hiei smirked as he sped through the trees in the forest. That idiot human. But as soon the voices were completely gone, the fire demon realized his mistake. He was alone. Being alone was not a problem; he spent much of his time by himself. But this was not a good time for him to be left to just his thoughts. He struggled to clear his mind, like he had many times before, but his thoughts overcame his mental barriers.  
  
He unwillingly sat down in a tree and began to lose himself to his thoughts.  
  
After Keiko had saved his life, the fire demon was overcome with the desire to sleep. He slept, but while he did so, he dreamed. The dreams were most unusual. Unusual for two reasons. It was strange because these were his first dreams; normally, he had only nightmares and even those had long sense disappeared. The second reason had to do with what actually took place in the dreams and the overall 'feel' of the dream.  
  
In his experience with nightmares, they were normally blurry and it you more sensed the danger then saw it. This was not how it was in these dreams. Everything, well, almost everything had been remarkably acute.  
  
The dreams had had a rather . . . disturbing theme to them as well. He never knew his own subconscious could be so devious.  
  
This is took place in his dreams:  
  
He was standing in the forest. It was daylight. Everything looked unbelievably peaceful for a Makai forest. It was then he had noticed that this was *not* a Makai forest. Nowhere in the Makai were there these strange trees, these weeping willows.  
  
Hiei scanned the area for anything familiar. The ground was level, and covered with a lush green carpet of grass. Next to the biggest weeping willow, that was only a few feet away from him, was a pool of perfectly clear water and seemed to have no bottom to it. He did not recognize any feature of this place.  
  
Hiei looked down at himself. In stead of his usual dark garb, he wore a crimson and gold tunic with matching pants. Dragons, flames and suns were intricately sewn on the clothes in dizzying patterns. Even though these clothes flattered his form greatly, it disturbed him. The fire demon did not remember coming here of his own accord, nor did recall dressing in these clothes. Worse still, was the fact that his kanata had conveniently gone missing.  
  
This place was perfectly silent. No noises dare to disrupt the quietness of this place, whatever this place was. He himself did not even try to disrupt the silence. It just seemed wrong to do so.  
  
"Hiei?"  
  
His head turned to the place he believed the sound to have originated. He could not though, because the voice had come from all directions.  
  
"Answer me Hiei."  
  
The voice was not unkind or demanding. Quite the opposite to be honest. It was lovely and tranquil, soothing and soft. Somehow, in some way, it was almost familiar. Then the fire demon remembered the disembodied voice's request.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Hiei almost winced. His own voice was like a blast of artic air in this warm comforting place. Instead of reprimand or harsh words, the voice simply laughed. The laugh did not sting or mock him. Like everything else here, it was pleasant.  
  
After a while, the laughter slowly faded. Hiei was not sure whether to be relieved or sorry. Then from the corner of his eye, he saw something.  
  
With a speed to rival that of light, Hiei turned, his hand instinctively going to where the hilt of his kanata should have been. The form laughed the same pleasant laugh he had heard before.  
  
So, the voice had a body after all.  
  
A female body to boot. A seductively curvy body to be more specific. Her hips swayed and her loosely tied purple and cream kimono looked as if it was about to come undone. It was a bit much for his modest eyes. Hiei glanced at her face, but she had a mask over it. The mask was cream colored with little emerald green gems lining the edges. The mask only covered her eyes and part of her forehead, but it was impossible for Hiei to tell who it was. He couldn't even really see her eyes thought the delicately made holes made for them.  
  
"Well?" She said with her arms outstretched  
  
In his head, Hiei was thinking that this girl was insane for thinking he would embrace her. His body though, obviously had not gotten that memo.  
  
With some panic, alright, a lot of panic, he moved toward the girl. When he reached the girl, Hiei wrapped his arms around her. She pressed herself against him. Hiei then whispered something he could not understand into her ear.  
  
All this time, Hiei was frantically trying to regain control of his traitorous body. All these actions were not his. All these gestures and tender touches were not his. His mind had almost taken back control, but then, like with the poison, it was smothered.  
  
But this time, it was raw emotion that smothered him.  
  
Hiei had lied to himself long ago when he convinced himself emotions were worthless. Yukina was proof enough. Without her, his life was meaningless. He needed her to go on.  
  
But where in seven hells were these feelings coming from?!  
  
He did not know this girl, at least he did not think so, yet he felt very strongly for her. It was odd. It was unreal. But it was happening all the same.  
  
The girl moved her hands from his arms very slowly up to his neck, feeling very part of his upper body before finally tangling them in his hair. Hiei seemed to have finally gotten some control back, as he could feel his eyes widen significantly and he was blushing slightly.  
  
The girl giggled shyly and blushed as well, but she was still far more calm then Hiei. Standing on her toes, the girl leaned up to his face and they were less then one centimeter away from each other. His mind wanted to know what the hell this vixen thought she was doing as she steady drew closer when . . .  
  
Keiko had woken him up.  
  
One could see how this dream might have made him doubt his current state of sanity. It must have been the poison. Nothing else could have made him dream what he had!  
  
Actually, Hiei was only partially right.  
  
"What did that demoness do to-" Thought Hiei when.  
  
"Hey half-pint!"  
  
Hiei looked down at the three other members of the Spirit Detectives. For once, he was actually glad they had disturbed him. His thoughts had almost begun to travel into dangerous territory. 


	10. Bazikori Found

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Yu Hakusho, then I would be Hiei's girlfriend! ^___^ But I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. ;_; *Is crying*  
  
To Sanosuke Hidane: For someone that's in a body cast, you're very hyper. Or maybe it's because of my fic! Or maybe all your compliments have just gotten to my head and in reality you've just had waaaaay to much coffee.  
  
To Reno Spiegel: Hmmm, yes, I could see why it would be hard for you to grasp some of the terms. Believe it or not, *whispers* I haven't seen past the Four Saint Beasts episodes either! I'm totally winging it here (or spending an insane amount of time researching this show). Don't tell anyone! . . . Wait a $%@# minute. Other people can read this, can't they? Darn it.  
  
To Black Gem: O.O I'm sneaky?! COOL! I'm going to go steal from my little sister now and get my gameboy back because I'm sneaky! *One hour later and Lady BDF is bloody and bruised* You little liar! But I'm glad you like the fic.  
  
To Jen: -^___^- You're reviews are the high point of every chapter for me!  
  
To mizustarangel: . . . That's quite a few exclamation marks, but I'm glad you get it now!  
  
To Yukiko-sama: Actually, I'm already trying to write a book. That's kind of why it takes so long for me to update. Thank you for the high praise though, I love it!  
  
To Lady Light: I love the warm, fuzzy feeling I get from your compliments!  
  
To Queen Death Dragon: O.O You're not going to threaten me?! Woohoo! Yayness galore! Glad you like this story, but it'll take me for-freakin'- ever to update YYH and the Random Spell. Its times like these I'm glad you won't kill me over little things like updates . . . right?  
  
To Sheep: More money then Bill Gates . . . wow. That's quite a bit of flames. Glad you like the story and I hope people remember their sanity next time they read your fics.  
  
To Tetsuo-Shima: Hey! I'm not *that* bad with my updating! *Notices all reviewers are looking in another direction or rolling their eyes* --' Okay, I'll try to update more. Glad you like the story!  
  
To LilyKitsune: I'm honored to be on your favorite list. HAPPY DAY! Go ME! THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!  
  
To celestria: Thank you! Whenever I write fan fiction, I always make sure I have the character down because I HATE OOC! OOC is *not* cool people! So, I'm glad you think I keep them in character!  
  
To Ox King: I'm so happy you love my story! I simply *love* input and compliments!  
  
To bubblesluvsveggie: Yep. It was definitely abrupt, as you so put it. From my experience (which isn't saying a lot since I'm only thirteen) love can be like a sledgehammer sometimes. One second you're just sitting there and BAM! You're seeing stars, er, hearts.  
  
To Alex Warlorn: *Blink, blink* Ooooh! That's what you meant! I got a completely different vibe from your review. Well, yeah, Yusuke will find out eventually and Kurama will probably be the most understanding, but Keiko is . . . looking into the situation so much that she can't really see the obvious. You know what I mean? Sorry if I was offense or anything before. In truth, I kind of like it when people ask about things like this, but must of this stuff I *have* thought about and will be answered in later chapters. So don't worry you're lil' head!  
  
To SSJ Inuyasha: Aw, thank you! I'll reveal who the girl in the dreams is in later chapters (Is there an echo in here? Or am I just saying that a lot?) and as for the name, THANK YOU! It took me a freakin' hour to find the Japanese name for Spirit Detective! I'm NOT going to use anymore Japanese terms though, because I don't want to confuse anyone/destroy my computer in frustration.  
  
To Danger Kitty #1: I know, I know. Sometimes I just can't type anymore and I have to cut the chapters short. If you prefer, I could take even *longer* to update . . . but I don't think I need more people hounding me.  
  
To LadyBlushaLot: Doust thou think me witty? Aw, that's so nice of you! And as for replying to my reviewers, well, if people have the time to write lovely reviews about my stories, then I have enough time to at least say thank you. But that's just my insane logic.  
  
To DeMoNic GigGles: ^___^ Thank you! As for the words, here is why there messed up. 1) My spell-check is devil spawn 2) I need to start taking the time to edit my stories and 3) my actual spelling is . . . crap for a lack of a less insulting term.  
  
To Kyra Windwood: Methinks that dream was wack too. But . . . it'll make more sense in later chapters. (There's an echo in here!)  
  
To BlackFire13: --' Hiei's fans are so . . . faithful. ^^ Just kidding, but, just so you know, our fav fire demon hasn't lost it quite yet.  
  
To hieitheone13: Um, no these are all my ideas. All the person who requested this story said was 'make it a Hiei/Keiko story'. So . . . I concocted a plot to get them together. Thank you for the compliments and as for the offer of me being in your story . . . um, I not so sure that's a good idea. You see, people tend to mess up my personality because I change it so often when on the computer. So, whenever people write about me in stories, it's not really me, it's a crazy OC with my name. Just leave me to screw with people's minds, okay? Thanks for the reviews!  
  
To Water Guardian: -^___^- What can I say? You're so wonderful for writing these nice compliments!  
  
To Ale-Bloody-Roses: My dear, shibby friend, I love it when you review my stories! ^^v And love it even more when you update your own! Ugh, we both suck at the whole routine-updating thing, don't we? Well, at least we don't get graded on that! As for Kurama getting drunk, umm, I'm sure it's physically possible for him to get drunk, but I don't think he would. I mean, it's Kurama! He's *perfect*! Except for the fact he wears pink clothes. Pink clothes are a big no-no for guys, in my opinion. He should wear red, or emerald green or just something else besides that *evil* color! A friend of mine thought he was a girl when she first saw him, and of course, I hit her over the head for you Ale. And no, I don't know why homework is important either. It's a cosmic mystery we'll probably never know the answer too . . . *Twilight Zone music plays in the background*  
  
To FallenStardust: I'm shocked at how many people like this fic! Thank you so much for the compliments!  
  
To keyone ryou: *Takes sugar coated Hiei and his kanata* I have the sudden urge to update! Thank you!  
  
To Alexandris Roses: Thanks!  
  
To lia-goddess: School is always evil! And thank you for reviewing; I honestly don't care if you can't do it right away. The fact that you *did* is enough for me. And you are too kawaii Hiei-sama!  
  
To J-sama: Squeal! Those are wonderful ideas! I think they might make better sequels though. I mean, those ideas could go on for chapters and chapters, and then I'd never get to the romance! I'll think about it. Your ideas rock and thank you for reviewing!  
  
To Diddums: Hey, you reviewed and didn't flame! That's enough for me. You get twenty super demon points for giving this fic a chance!  
  
To asian princess 61: Glad you like. Nope, it wouldn't be Hiei if he *willingly* did something like that, but if he was *forced* . . . then that's a completely different story!  
  
To fluffywolfy: -^___^- Yet another person caught in the spell of this seemingly normal fic. I'm glad you like this story so much! And please don't hurt me . . . something about writing when you're half dead just irritates me, ya know?  
  
To rogue solus: O.O I have servants?! Cool. Well, as for the confused-fire- one, he'll being going through a *lot* worse . . . MUHAHAHA*cough*HAHAHA!  
  
To Raine Roa: --''''' Hey! I try to update as frequently as possible! It's just that this story is sooooooo hard to write sometimes!  
  
To Lady.CaT-eyes/K: Aww, did I scare you? Sorry if I did! *Eyes get all big and shiny* Well, thanks for reviewing!  
  
SECERTS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 10  
  
The glowing red had died down to an ash like gray. All the light from the embers were gone and morning would soon be there. All the inhabitants of the forest who were not night dwellers would awaken soon. One diurnal creature was not asleep though.  
  
"HA!"  
  
One cobra demon was very much awake and kicking the crap out of a nearby tree. It seemed that, the more active she was, the less she thought about her hormones gone berserk, and the desires of those hormones. Of course, the first few punches and kicks had been badly done, she had even fallen down a few times, but now could at least hit something and stay in the correct stance, for now.  
  
That is what the problem had been all along. Keiko needed to have something solid to hit. Otherwise, the momentum would send her flying face first into the ground. Hiei had forgotten this because he had perfected his style of fighting over many, many years and had no use for going over the basics. More advanced moves were a combination of simple ones. So practicing for him, would have been rather silly. Thus, he had forgotten the proper way to go about basic training.  
  
Keiko however, was another manner. Having not yet learnt the basics, she needed to practice them. Unfortunately, she had no instructor, and was slowly changing the stances to better befit her own body. This might have actually been a good thing. For you see, every demon has their own style of fighting deeply embedded in their genetic code. It is more primal, natural and easier to learn then an invented fight style. Heritage fighting, as it was called, had one major flaw though. The flaw, being that unless the demon using it was much more powerful then their opponent, it was very weak against all other fighting forms.  
  
Why is it weak? Well, if you look closely at the demon's gait, body shape and personality, one could anticipate the other demon's next move quite easily. That is why an invented fighting style is better. You never know what move they might use, or if they tweaked any of the moves.  
  
But at this point in time, Keiko just being able to hit something was impressive. She now moved from kicking to punching. She was doing quite well and, to her astonishment, hitting the tree had no affect whatsoever on her body. One would think the bark would destroy her skin, but it was as if she had an invisible shield protecting her.  
  
Several hours later, the sun was high in the sky and Keiko needed to stop, or else she would collapse where she stood.  
  
"Just . . . one more . . . time." Keiko said to herself.  
  
Keiko drew her hand back and smashed it into the already smashed up tree trunk. Much to her utter shock, it hurt like hell.  
  
"YYYYEEEEOOOOWWWWCCCHHH!"  
  
Then the cobra demon proceeded to scream every single profanity known to man, demon and God into the silent Makai forest. If any young demons had been listening, they would most certainly be scarred for life.  
  
"What happened?!" Thought Keiko once she had regained control of her mouth and checked out her knuckles, which looked like they had been put in a meat grinder.  
  
She couldn't figure it out. How come this didn't happen the first time, when she punched the tree to vent her anger? How come it hadn't happened all the other times?  
  
Keiko decided she would think about it later. Her vision was blurry and her head hurt from all the exercise. Add all this to the fact that she was out of breath, sore and exceedingly tired, Keiko quickly found herself asleep.  
  
Thankfully, her sleep was dreamless, but another individual was not so lucky.  
  
Hiei bolted upright in the tree he was in. It had been another 'dream'. In his personal opinion, 'nightmare from hell' was a better term. The fire demon crossed his legs and looked down on the other members of the Spirit Detectives beneath him. With a touch of envy he watched them sleep and in Kuwabara's case, snore peacefully. Hiei noted with disgust that Kuwabara was supposed to be keeping watch. Moron, he was going to get them all killed one day.  
  
Hiei turned and leaned against the tree. The sky was a bright orange, seeing as how the sun was about to set. They slept during the day because they assumed Bazikori would be nocturnal. Most demons were prone to darkness and besides, they didn't want to be ambushed in their sleep.  
  
The fire demon looked down again when he heard a small moan. It came from Yusuke. It didn't surprise Hiei. Kurama had 'informed' him that Keiko had gone missing and even though her mother assured everyone she was visiting a relative, Yusuke had this gut feeling something was wrong.  
  
Briefly Hiei pondered on why Keiko's mother had made up that lie. How could she know that Keiko was, supposedly, going to be alright? The fire demon scowled at himself for actually being concerned about the cobra demoness. Then again she was, in a way, his student. If she got killed on her own . . . what would that say about him?  
  
Yes, that is the only reason he care, Hiei thought. The fire demon decided not to go back to sleep. First off, he might have more dreams, second, *somebody* needed to watch out for Bazikori and his minions.  
  
Unfortunately, Hiei had nothing to do and his mind began to wander. It seemed, awake or asleep, his dreams would always manage to haunt him. He began to relive the most recent of his dreams.  
  
Hiei was once again dressed in the red and gold garb. He was once again without his kanata. But the place was different this time. It was a beach. The sand was a pure white and the water a clear bluish-green that glowed. You could see the floor, even though it was nighttime. The sky itself was a dark blue with a pale blue at the horizon. A silvery-white crescent moon hung in the sky; it seemed much larger then usual. The stars were only white in the center, on the edges they shown radiant shades of orange, red and purple.  
  
The palm trees behind him brushed their leaves together as a wonderfully warm breeze swept through them. It was perfectly silent after that, until the water started to froth. Hiei watched with fascination as the water continued to bubble higher and higher till it was almost as tall as him. Then the water went back down and in its stead, was a girl.  
  
She wore a strapless green dress that looked as though it was made of fish scales. It barely reached her knees and had tiny aqua shells line the hem of the dress. The girl had a necklace made of pearls and shiny lavender shells. Also, she still had a mask on. This one was light purple with deep violet snake like sea monsters sewn on the edges. Hiei recognized her.  
  
"You!"  
  
"Hello, Hiei." Replied the girl, as she began to walk over.  
  
"Stay. Where. You. Are." Growled Hiei, glad he could control his body this time.  
  
"Alright." Said the girl, taking no offense.  
  
Hiei relaxed a bit, but didn't let his guard down. They were four feet apart. Now he could get some questions answered.  
  
"Where am I?" Asked Hiei  
  
"Somewhere. I myself don't know exactly where here is." She answered.  
  
"Why am I here?"  
  
"You're here because you preformed the ritual." Said the girl, turning away slightly as she spoke.  
  
"What ritual?" Asked Hiei, her vague answers beginning to annoy him.  
  
"*The* ritual. I cannot tell you more." Responded the girl.  
  
"But you know more." Said Hiei.  
  
"I might." Said the girl slyly.  
  
"Then tell me." Demanded Hiei  
  
"Hmm," Said the girl, considering, "Only if . . . you catch me!"  
  
Hiei growled as he girl sped down the beach, but then smirked. Had he been human, Hiei wouldn't even have a chance of catching her, but he was a demon. A fast demon. He raced down the beach in about the same amount of time it took someone to blink, visibly taking the girl by surprise. He was about to grab her, when she turned into mist.  
  
The fire demon stood there, perplexed. Then he heard giggling. Behind him, some distance away was the girl, now solid and giggling as she ran. This continued for a quite some time. Hiei would chase the girl; the girl would turn into mist, and then reappear, then the chase would begin anew.  
  
One might think this angered Hiei. It did, but only a little. Mainly, he was amused, even though he wouldn't ever admit it. The fire demon enjoyed the chase, it was the first time in many years someone could avoid being caught by him, even if the technique of evasion was an odd one.  
  
It had to end though, and it did.  
  
The girl, whose giggles had turned into shrieks of laughter, was not watching where she was going. A rather large shell just happened to be in her path at the time and she tripped over it. She would have fallen on the ground had Hiei not taken the opportunity and grabbed her arm. He had to wait until her laughter peeled down to small fits of hushed giggles to get a straight answer out of the girl.  
  
"What is the ritual?" Asked Hiei.  
  
"Oh fine." Said the girl, rather disappointed he wouldn't laugh at least once, "Come closer, I have to whisper it, or else we'll both have to leave this place."  
  
Hiei leaned closer to her face and she insisted he lean closer still. This process continued until Hiei didn't think it possible for them to be any closer.  
  
"Okay . . . the ritual is . . ." Whispered the girl.  
  
She let the answer hang for a second or two and Hiei opened his mouth to ask her 'politely' to continue. Then the little temptress did the unbelievable.  
  
She kissed him.  
  
For a minute, Hiei was too shocked to do anything. Finally he got himself together and pushed her away.  
  
"Aww, don't be mean. I know you enjoyed it." Said the girl with a lusty wink he could see through the mask, "See you tomorrow." And then she turned into mist.  
  
Hiei stood there stupefied; he could have been a statue for all that he moved. Then he woke up.  
  
The fire demon growled at his stupidity. How could have acted like he did? It didn't make any sense! But neither did that girl. At first she resembled a normal person and the way she kissed was oddly familiar, but now . . .  
  
And then there was the 'See you tomorrow' comment. That was what truly had him worried. What in seven hells had that poison done to him? He couldn't sleep because some imaginary girl his own twisted subconscious and some poison had made up tormented him!  
  
Hiei decided he was going to be look-out a lot more often and think less. Which was going to be hard, seeing as how brooding and sleeping was what he did in his vast amounts of spare time.  
  
In another part of the Makai forest, much later . . .  
  
Keiko woke up and groaned. Her back was sore from sleeping on the ground. She got up and stretched, wincing as she worked the kinks out of her muscles. She then looked at her fist, it was completely healed. She flexed her fingers a bit. No pain at all.  
  
Keiko was going to the stream in order to wash up, when she had the most wonderful idea.  
  
Why not go look for a hot spring?  
  
Her muscles were practically screaming 'Yes, find a hot spring!'. Well, a hot spring couldn't be *too* far away. Hiei said she should stay put, but it wasn't as if she was going outside the forest.  
  
Keiko dashed off, her muscles protesting the strain her new demon speed was placing on them. She wasn't anywhere near as fast as Hiei, but she was much faster then she had been when she was human. Keiko looked around the landscape; all she saw were colors that swirled together, like a runny watercolor painting.  
  
Slowing down a bit, Keiko searched with her eyes for heat. Snakes saw things differently then humans, they saw things by how much heat something radiated. That's how they found their prey. Keiko discovered this interesting little fact when she had been staring at the embers in the near dead fire. Anything that was warm had a sparkly white aura surrounding it. She could block it out if she wanted, she could also make it intensify.  
  
That is what she did now; she intensified her heat-vision so any steam would become very noticeable. Keiko lost time of how long she had been running; all she could think of was her first hot bath in weeks, even though it felt like centuries.  
  
Something extremely white and sparkly caught her eyes just then. Keiko screeched to a halt and then headed in the direction of the steam. The smell of minerals reached her nose, it was much stronger then it had been when she was human. It didn't matter though; all Keiko wanted was warm water to bath in.  
  
The demoness finally reached the spring. Keiko almost cried with joy as she took off her clothes and lowered herself into the deliciously hot waters. It was almost as nice as Hiei's cloak had been. For a while, Keiko just leaned back and enjoyed the warmth, and then she started to think.  
  
Keiko glanced down at her formally wounded hand. How had it been able to hit the tree before without getting hurt, and then suddenly, have the rules change?  
  
"It doesn't make any sense!" Said Keiko, slamming her fist down on the rock.  
  
The rock cracked and crumbled under her fist. Keiko stared at the stone she had reduced to gravel and then at her hand. The fist glowed green for about two seconds before going back to normal.  
  
"What the hell?" Whispered Keiko.  
  
Her hand had just glowed green. Keiko waved her hand around a bit, made a fist with it once or twice and it still didn't glow green. What the heck was going on? The cobra demon closed her eyes and tried to remember if her hand had ever glowed green before.  
  
Flashes of her transformation from human to demon came to mind, and she remembered the eerie green aura that had surrounded her. Could it be the same that was on her fist? It might. But that still didn't tell her what the green light was!  
  
Keiko formed a fist again as she growled in anger. She was tired of all these mysterious happenings. She then witnessed her hand be surrounded by the phantom green energy. However, as soon as she started to really study the green illumination of her hand, it disappeared.  
  
This time, Keiko decided to sigh in frustration rather than vent it on another defenseless rock. She just knew there was some sort of connection with her hand shining green when it did. There had to be some sort of trigger for when it happened, like her transformations . . .  
  
"Like my transformations." Muttered Keiko.  
  
This 'theory' of hers didn't exactly help. Like everything else about her demon heritage, she knew dangerously little about her transformations. Keiko wished Hiei was here, for more reasons then one.  
  
"Why am I thinking about him?" Thought Keiko as she blushed and slumped even further into the water.  
  
Yet another complication in her life. The fire demon. No matter what she did, no matter how many times she tried to convince herself that she did not love him, her thoughts would at some point always be drawn back to those fiendish fantasies.  
  
"Where are all these-these- feelings coming from?!" Said Keiko, unaware of how utterly ridiculous she looked, what with having a conversation by herself.  
  
Wait a second, feelings! That was it! Every time she transformed or glowed or did anything out of the ordinary, it always happened when she was experiencing strong emotions.  
  
Now she was getting somewhere. To test if this hypothesis was true, Keiko thought of something that made her angry, the steel wings, seeing as that emotion was what caused the energy to appear most often.  
  
As predicted, her hand soon had the shimmering green aura wrapped around it. Keiko continued reliving upsetting thoughts until she could barely see her hand through the opaque emerald mist that had engulfed it. The cobra demon then stopped remembering so she could look at the partially solidified energy that would be gone in less then three seconds.  
  
It didn't go away though, it stayed on her hand. Keiko was content to simply look at it for a period of time, but the energy soon began to sting her hand. The cobra demon tried to dissipate it by thinking pleasant thoughts, mainly of Hiei, much to her embarrassment, but the energy remained firmly attached to her hand.  
  
The energy was now started to burn. Keiko tried putting her hand in water, but it had no effect on the now incredibly painful energy. Finally, Keiko resorted to trying to throw it off and it actually worked! The circle of energy morphed into a crudely shape semi circle before hitting a tree.  
  
Keiko felt her jaw drop as the cloud of green mist hit the tree and completely obliterated a three feet wide, one foot deep, section of the trunk.  
  
"Oh . . . wow." Said Keiko.  
  
The 'green energy' was apparently that 'spirit energy' Yusuke and Kuwabara were always talking about when they thought she wasn't listening. Actually, they never talked about it, they argued about whose was stronger.  
  
Well, Keiko now knew that she had a rather powerful energy attack, and it was probably toxic as well as powerful, seeing as the wood around the hole was burning still. She didn't even use the command word, which is what Yusuke and Kuwabara always had to say before they could use their spirit attacks. She had just done the action.  
  
Keiko flexed her hand for the twentieth time today probably and accepted this new surprise as she had some many others lately. She wasn't displeased though, this spirit weapon could come in handy one day.  
  
"Who tressspasssesss Bazikori'sss watersss?" Hissed a voice from not to far away.  
  
Like today for instance.  
  
"Who isss in my land?" Growled the voice, now much closer.  
  
Keiko quickly got out of the hot spring and hurriedly put her clothes back on.  
  
"Child of sssnake, what isss your busssinesss here?" Said the voice, now with a body.  
  
The speaker had a lizard-like body with something resembling a male human head on it where a lizard's should have been. The creature was as long as a tree was tall and it had murky brown skin that seemed to be covered in a kind of horrifyingly ugly scabs. Around the monster's shoulders were two beings that looked like weasels with scales and a blood red medallion. Keiko almost thought she could see skulls and other bones in deep ruby center of the jewel. The red eyes of the weasel creatures glowed with malice and one cackled in a grating, metallic voice.  
  
"None, I'm leaving." Said Keiko, not wanting to fight this very large demon.  
  
"Snake child, you have been in Lord Bazikori's territory for many hours. You're stench is everywhere. You cannot challenge Lord Bazikori and then walk away. No, no, no, that would be very improper." Said the other weasel animal in a sickly sweet voice that made Keiko shiver.  
  
Taking advantage of Keiko's momentary lapse of attention, the lizard beast lazily wrapped a tail around her and brutally smashed her into a tree. The jarring impact made Keiko open her mouth in a silent scream of pain, but the crash had stolen the breath from her lungs, making it impossible to vocalize her immense hurt.  
  
The lizard demon looked at his new play toy with a frown of annoyance. She wasn't much fun. Only one hit and already she was having trouble moving. Bazikori raised his tail high in the air and let Keiko drop to the ground with the satisfying 'thud' that could only be attained when flesh hit earth. He had expected more from her; she radiated the potential of great power. But that was his folly. What else could he expect from a member of a species he had thought extinct?  
  
Keiko felt as though lightening had struck her. This was her first real fight. It would of course have to be a demon that outclassed her and it was typical that she didn't have enough training to even survive, let alone win. She could barely move and she hadn't even hit him yet! Not like she had a chance to, but regardless of that, she was still in quite a bit of trouble. She couldn't even change into her true demon form she was hurt so badly.  
  
"Weak demoness, get up." Commanded Bazikori.  
  
But Keiko stayed down. She had a plan, that and the fact she couldn't feel her feet kept her from getting up. Bazikori was growing impatient and started to approach the cobra demon. As he walked toward her, he picked up the smell of blood. He grinned. She must have gotten a laceration from the bark on the tree. The lizard beast was now right next to Keiko; he kneeled down until he was eye level with her. Bazikori expected to see fear and pain in those acid green eyes, but he didn't. Her face had an eerily clam demeanor, most likely from spending too much time with Hiei. Then Keiko grinned, showing two large fangs with her now purplish-red blood on them. She had punctured her own lips.  
  
The lizard tried to step back, but it was too late. In the form of a true serpent, Keiko spat her blood into his eyes. The acid ate away at the eyes, the skin, everything it touched. Bazikori screamed and thrashed, trying to rid himself of the cobra demon's poisonous blood. Keiko pulled her body away from his and tried to think of her next move, if her blood didn't kill the monster.  
  
"C-lever demon-ess. You ha-ve tempo-rarily blin-ded Lord Bazi-kori. But he has the Gem of Caxix, the poi-son will not ki-ll him." Said the weasel creature with the almost computerized sounding voice and metallic laugh.  
  
Keiko tried to calm down and think about the situation rationally. It was rather hard to do, seeing as how Bazikori was rapidly regaining his sight, but she managed it.  
  
She couldn't us poison because he was, for the most part, immune. She couldn't scratch, use teeth or punch because if she got close enough he would attack with his giant claws, teeth and tail. This was definitely a good time to use her spirit energy attack. She only wished it was more powerful.  
  
"I mussst know your name before I dessstroy you demoness." Said the now seeing Bazikori.  
  
"It's . . . Kobra, with a 'K' and you're not going to kill me. I'm going to kill you." Said Keiko, trying to buy time in order to much her attack stronger. Also, she believed it would be unwise to give her true name.  
  
Bazikori was done waiting and that last comment had insulted him. He charged at the girl. Keiko then unleashed her power on him.  
  
"AAAAARGH!" Screeched Bazikori, the entire front of his face charred black.  
  
Keiko would have been tempted to jump up and dance for joy, had she been able to move her legs. That attack most certainly would kill the vile beast, Bazikori. She was wrong though. In front of her very eyes, Bazikori was healing. The charred skin became red burns, and then brown, then the burns simply disappeared.  
  
Bazikori laughed at the demoness when her eyes went wide at his quick healing abilities. He stomped over to her and picked her up, by the neck with his tail. He watched her struggle and try to summon her spirit energy again. It didn't matter if she hit him again. The gem of Caxix would heal him every time.  
  
Keiko was once again surrounded by red fog and was having trouble thinking. Combining this with the lack of oxygen her body was receiving, things did not look good, especially without Hiei wasn't here to save her this time.  
  
Keiko was still pooling the energy in her hand, even though it was draining the life from her. Better she at least try to save herself then accept her fate willingly. Keiko had finally gathered the last of her energy in one of her hands. All she had to do was throw it and maybe, she could escape.  
  
"Hedditcaa." Whispered a voice in her head.  
  
It wasn't really a voice; it was more of a feeling, instinct maybe. Whatever it was, the 'feeling' obviously wanted her to speak the strange word.  
  
"H-He-HEDDITCAA!" Screamed Keiko, with more force then she believed possible.  
  
She then flung the energy at Bazikori. The energy was in the form of a rather large boomerang with blades at the edges. The acid green spirit weapon flew at the shocked Bazikori and made a clean cut across his neck, taking off his head, also one of the weasel things. Keiko felt the tail tighten for a moment and then release her, letting her plummet to the ground.  
  
The boomerang, called Hedditcaa, came back to Keiko, like all boomerangs do, and dissipated in her hand. Keiko then hit the ground, still conscious even though she ought to be unconscious.  
  
To Keiko's disbelief, she felt her wounds knit themselves back together; her entire body was healing itself in a matter of minutes! Even if she was a demon, this was not natural.  
  
After about ten minutes, Keiko sat up, fully healed, and felt something in her hand. It was the Gem of Caxix. Hedditcaa must have brought it back to her. The gem used to be a deep red, but now it was a deep violet. Keiko could still see skulls and other bones in the gem though, but the gem had still changed colors, which confused Keiko. She ignored this for now in order to study the rest of the necklace. The chain was a dark grey and plain. The back the gem was set in was also dark grey. Around the edges of the gem, where the dark grey border was, there were small spikes.  
  
Despite the jewel's morbid appearance, it was beautiful beyond comparison. Keiko put the gem around her neck. She might as well keep the spoils of her victory. The cobra demon then looked back at the now dead lord Bazikori. The absence of a head and the amount of red blood bathing the ground made her stomach twist. So sickening was the sight that Keiko had to run away from the body so she wouldn't throw up.  
  
Keiko was back at Hiei and her's original campsite around night fall. Keiko had discovered that the hot springs had actually been a fair distance away from the campsite. She caught some fish and thought about the gem as her food cooked. This gem was very powerful; it had the power to heal wounds, even fatal ones, in a matter of minutes. Keiko was lucky that Hedditcaa had brought back the jewel. Otherwise, she would be dead right now.  
  
Keiko ate her meal and stared into the fire. She wished Hiei was there with her. Even though he probably wouldn't talk with her, his presence was enough. Just him, the person who knew her biggest secret, the one she now trusted most, just him sitting by her side was enough. It would be pleasant if he would talk with her though, it would be even more pleasant if he would wrap his arms around her and . . .  
  
"Not again." Thought Keiko.  
  
Again with her thoughts of romance. A hopeless romance, mind you. Hiei would never love her. He might like her though, as a friend. Keiko sighed. She was just going to have to be content with that alone. Beside, this was most likely a crush, puppy love. It would go away and her reluctant friendship with Hiei would remain unscathed.  
  
Thoughts being settled for the time being, Keiko lay down by the fire and fingered the Gem of Caxix, waiting for sleep to come. Drowsily Keiko realized dawn would be here soon and that her eyes had all that night been adjusted to the dim light before falling asleep.  
  
Other diurnal creatures had also spent the entire night awake and, coincidentally, were at the same springs Keiko had been in a while back.  
  
"Oh master Bazikori! She killed you master!" Cried the weasel like demon.  
  
The spirit detectives watched the creature with a look of bewilderment. His master was dead, but he did not cry for his own flesh and blood, that was lying dead by its side.  
  
"Did that thing say 'Bazikori'?" Asked Kuwabara of Yusuke.  
  
Yusuke nodded in response, but kept his eyes on the small demon.  
  
"Who killed your master?" Asked Kurama.  
  
"A demoness named Kobra." Hissed the creature with venom.  
  
"I've never heard of her." Said Kurama.  
  
"But I tell you, she is real!" Cried the demon.  
  
"And I do not doubt that. Come, you need to go to spirit world for questioning." Said Kurama, holding a hand out for the small beast.  
  
The demon looked scared, if he went to spirit world, he would most likely be punished. The demon snapped his small teeth at Kurama and then, simply disappeared.  
  
"Guys, we just lost the witness. Koenma's going to freak out." Said Yusuke, who could already hear the baby God's unending, rants.  
  
"We have another complication. There is nothing here on the body that could be the toddler's." Said Hiei, who was over by the body.  
  
"Say what?!" Yelled Kuwabara.  
  
"Are you sure, Hiei?" Asked Yusuke in a 'please-say-its-there' tone.  
  
"We could sense it if it was." Said Hiei.  
  
Yusuke looked at the communication mirror in his hand. He really didn't want to call Boton and tell her an unknown demon had the heirloom. He had to though, she would scream at him much more if he waited until later. Yusuke opened up the communication mirror.  
  
"Hello Yusuke, Boton here! Did you find Bazikori?" Said the cheerful Boton.  
  
"Um, yeah. We found the guy but . . ." Mumbled Yusuke.  
  
A few minutes later, a load shriek of "WHAT?!" could be hear through the forest. Then came several more hysterical screams. Finally it stopped and Boton could speak without causing an earthquake again.  
  
"Alright, I'll tell Koenma what happened and you boys can go back to your normal lives for a bit. I'll see if there is any information on Kobra or if I can find out what the object that was stolen is. Just keep your eyes open." Said Boton.  
  
"Great, just great." Said Yusuke.  
  
"I, for one, am ready to depart from the Makai. Yusuke, Kuwabara, you'll probably want to come. How about you Hiei?" Asked Kurama, but the fire demon was already gone.  
  
Lady BDF: Damn. Sixteen freakin' pages. You had better review! 


	11. Fantasies

Disclaimer: Every night, the Spirit Detectives thank the Gods I don't own them.  
  
Important Author's Note: I have revised all the chapters of this story. They are now error free and you can now read them *without* the embarrassing spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes.  
  
*** Random Note: If you unscramble the word 'hedditcaa' you get 'acid death' neat, huh? ***  
  
To SSJ Inuyasha: Those *will* be an interesting chapters, won't they? I've already got some snippets planned out, so don't worry, they'll come soon enough.  
  
To Raine Roa: You got it!  
  
To Star Wolf: Okay, I'm writing!  
  
To Midnight Lilly: Yup. She *is* falling in love with Hiei.  
  
To koeke14: Thank you for noticing! And don't worry; I wouldn't give this fic up for the world.  
  
To Yukiko-sama: Aww, thank you!  
  
To Missy: Glad you like the story.  
  
To makulit: Well, you *were* the one who suggested it! I'm so happy you like!  
  
To Greatness and Hat: I'm so happy you seem to be enjoying this story so much!  
  
To Reno Spiegel: No kidding! I would kill to get my hands on the new DVD releases of Yu Yu Hakusho . . . I didn't get them for Christmas, *sniff* but I might get them for my B-day!  
  
To Lady Light: Aww, thank you! I just thought it would be hilarious if I did something like that. Imagine all the trouble Keiko could get in . . .  
  
To Dark Duelist: Don't worry, I'm updating! Glad you like the story!  
  
To LadyBlushaLot: Yay! Thou think thy witty! And as for Keiko, well, it was the result of me wanting some kick-ass girl power in this story!  
  
To rogue solus: Thanks for the servants! And as for the girl in Hiei's dreams, he can't kill her because 1) no sword and 2) you can't kill a creation of your own mind.  
  
To lia-goddess: Yes, an update would be very nice indeed. I'm so glad you liked the sixteen pages I suffered and slaved over!  
  
To Tetsuo-Shima: That's an awfully big 'yay'. Hmm, I take it you like the story?  
  
To An'ei no Tenshi: So glad you love the story!  
  
To Kyra Windwood: Yup. He gets very weird dreams, it's the result of . . . well, you'll just have to find out.  
  
To hieitheone13: Aww, thank you!  
  
To Silver_Wings4004: Thank you! And don't worry, I can't spell either (neither can my spell-check for that matter). I'm so happy you love the story.  
  
To DeMoNic GigGleS: ^___^ Happy you like!  
  
To asian princess 61: Well, it's good to know you like all the chapters! The dream idea came to me in a dream one night . . .  
  
To Elbereth in April: Knowing Hiei, probably not. Besides, when it's all said and done, Keiko is the one who makes the final decision.  
  
To FallenStardust: Glad you think so!  
  
To Jen: Aww, thank you! You're compliments are far too nice!  
  
To flare: Thanks! And for Gods sake people! Don't threaten the authoress with death! I can't write if King Yama stands in the way . . .  
  
To Lily Kalanoa: Well, I fixed it now! I hope I did a good enough job. Thanks for the nice compliments!  
  
To J-sama: The properties of the gem will come in due time. As for dreams, well, you'll just need to read to find out.  
  
To mizustarangel: I'm assuming you liked the chapter . . . ^___^V  
  
To soul: I'm guessing Yusuke would have a rather severe heart attack. Glad you like the story!  
  
To karigan: Good question, hopefully I'll think of a good answer and then you can read it. Glad you love the story!  
  
To Sheep: *Does a jig* Glad you like and I'm glad you like being responded too!  
  
To KauilaniFire: So, you're the one Lady Cat Eyes was telling me about. Glad you like the story!  
  
To hi3iyamiInuyashagodess22: That is a very long name you have. Glad you like the story!  
  
To ChildofMidnight: Well . . . if you want me to e-mail you when I've updated that's okay. As for the medallion, what will come will come in due time. Glad you like the story!  
  
To Lady.CaT-eyes/K: More touchy feely stuff is on the way, don't worry. As for your story, no problem! I do not suggest myself as an editor though. I tried that once and the girl whose paper I edited refuses to speak to me anymore. Yeah, I'm a bitch when I edit. I *seriously* think you should ask someone else, but if you still insist I edit your stories, I'll give it a shot, just say so in another review.  
  
To Evil Cordy: Your wish is my command. And Yusuke's head will be 'exploding' (as you so charmingly put it) for more reasons then that.  
  
To ShadowCat (aka Queen Death Dragon): Woohoo! You got an account! I cannot wait for your stories! SQUEAL! This is soooo cool! Oh yeah, and if you use Lectrics or Fay, remember to give me credit. As for this story, *everybody* is going to get a shock! Thanks for the review!  
  
To Dark Duelist: ^___^ Thanks! I'm so happy when people appreciate a break from the ordinary.  
  
To Anonymous: Thank you and don't worry, Hiei's dreams will be explained in due time.  
  
To Alex Warlorn: Are you out to get me or something? How much time do you spend researching this anime? How much time do you spend trying to trip me up?! Okay, now for your questions. First, Keiko is *physically* a demon. The physiological change isn't going to happen over night you know. It will happen though. Second, yes, the whole gem thing will end up with her confessing what she truly is in one way or another. Third, actually, Hiei is very strong and managed to avoid Spirit World finding out much about him up till Yusuke took the shadow sword back from him. Fourth, as for the 'physic moron' (I like that name!) finding out about the Keiko's demonic aura, she's just going to hide it from him. I don't care if it can't happen in the anime, this is FANFICTION and I can do as I damn well please. I try to stay true to the anime as much as possible, but I'm going to manipulate a few things if I want this story to work.  
  
To pixie-atme: Thank you for the compliments, now for the questions and comments. First, no, Keiko isn't particularly pretty in her demon form, but she looks like a demon. That was the whole point. The only differences are her purple skin, larger fangs, claws and longer hair. I don't think she looks *that* bad. As for the fangs, she's a cobra demon. Cobras have fangs, Keiko has fangs. The fangs do serve a purpose. They carry a poison when she's in demon form.  
  
To FuhGettaBoutIt: OKAY!  
  
To hyperhottie213: Yes it is weird ^___^ I'm glad you like!  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 11  
  
Keiko sighed softly and sat up so she could stretch her arms. She had slept well and was ready to start training with hedditcaa. She might need to go outside the boundaries of camp to do so though. She didn't want to obliterate the part of the forest she lived in. The cobra demon finally opened her eyes and was greeted by two red ones staring back at her.  
  
"ACK!" Screamed Keiko as she backed up several feet.  
  
Her fright was short lived though because it was only Hiei, back from the mission.  
  
"Oh Gods Hiei. Don't DO that." Said Keiko as she leaned back and supported herself with her elbows alone.  
  
Hiei didn't respond, instead he smirked and walked toward Keiko, offering her a hand so he could pull her up. The cobra demon accepted the hand and allowed the fire demon to lift her off the ground. He did lift her off the ground, but what Keiko wasn't expecting was him pushing her body against a nearby tree.  
  
"Hie-" Said Keiko, but she couldn't finish her sentence.  
  
The fire demon nipped at her neck with his sharp canines. Keiko arched her back from a mixture of pleasure and pain. He then licked the bite marks and covered her neck in kisses she could barely feel. While he was doing this, the fire demon's hands gently went up Keiko's shirt and started massaging her torso with his nimble fingers, getting dangerously close to her breasts.  
  
Keiko gasped as all her skin became so very alert to the attention it was receiving. She could feel Hiei smirk even more, seeing as how he was done playing. The fire demon captured the cobra demon's mouth in a dizzyingly passionate kiss. His tongue entered her mouth and Keiko could feel the air around her heat up several hundred degrees.  
  
As one could see, Keiko was far too . . . preoccupied to realize this was out of character for Hiei. Especially when they broke their kiss and Keiko whimpered from lack of touch, but allowed the fire demon to remove her shirt. Keiko then smashed her lips against the fire demon's in a frenzied manner; she didn't want to stop touching him, she didn't want to stop feeling him against her.  
  
Hiei's hands were working on her breast band while her own were in the process of removing his cloak that keep his delicious body away from her own. They did all this and still managed to maintain their intimate kiss. They separated for a moment, so their lungs might receive some air.  
  
"Hiei," Gasped Keiko, "how did you know I-"  
  
And then she woke up.  
  
The cobra demon sat up sweating. That dream had been so wonderful . . . and so real. She put a hand on her neck, just too see if there was any bite marks. There weren't. All that was there was the chain that connected to the gem that was hidden under her shirt for safe keeping. It had been a dream.  
  
"I wish it hadn't been a dream." Sighed Keiko.  
  
"You've been having dreams?" Whispered a voice above her.  
  
Keiko leapt into the air from shock. Right above her was the fire demon that she had been making out with in her realistic dream a few seconds earlier. One could imagine how awkward she felt around him now.  
  
"Ye-Yes." Stammered Keiko, who could feel her face going bright red.  
  
"What kind of dreams?" Asked the fire demon.  
  
"Um-I'd rather not talk-I can't remember." Said Keiko, her voice cracking.  
  
"I think you do." Responded Hiei from his perch in the tree.  
  
"Even if I did, which I don't, why would I tell you?" Interrogated Keiko.  
  
"Because I've . . . been having dreams too. I wanted to see if they were somehow connected, but you don't remember them." Said Hiei.  
  
"Oh." Said Keiko, who really wanted to know what Hiei had been dreaming of.  
  
"Hn." Said the fire demon.  
  
Keiko sighed, he obviously wasn't going to tell her what he had been dreaming and she wasn't going to tell him what she had been dreaming. Life was cruel sometimes.  
  
"We have to finish your training, if you want to leave the Makai." Said Hiei.  
  
Life was really, really cruel sometimes.  
  
"Fine, let's." Muttered Keiko.  
  
She didn't want to train. She wanted to relax for one day. Just one day without training so hard she nearly collapsed, one day without a giant bird monster nearly killing her, just one day without a huge lizard thing trying to squeeze the life out of her. Unfortunately, she had as much chance as having a free day as she had getting Hiei into her bed . . .  
  
"Whoa! Keiko that is NOT something you should be thinking about." Thought Keiko, reprimanding her less-than-innocent thoughts.  
  
"We will train here." Said Hiei.  
  
Keiko looked around; she had unknowingly followed the fire demon into another section of the forest. It was a small clearing with a few rather large trees spread around. A perfect place to train. The fire demon flitted into a tree no more then a few feet away from the cobra demon.  
  
"To start, destroy that tree." Said the fire demon, pointing at one of the smaller trees in the clearing.  
  
Keiko smirked in an unbelievably Hiei like manner. Now would be a perfect time to show off her new skills. With a smug demeanor, Keiko gathered her green spirit energy into her hand.  
  
"HEDDITCAA!" Shouted the cobra demoness.  
  
The acid green boomerang cut through the air and completely dissolved the trunk of the tree with the toxins hidden in the spirit energy. Cracking was heard as the small, charred remains of the tree crashed to the ground. Keiko caught the boomerang and turned around to look at the fire demon. Said fire demon looked with mild amusement at her handiwork.  
  
"So, you've mastered the art of spirit energy." Said Hiei with his usual tone of indifference.  
  
"Obviously." Scowled Keiko, somewhat upset that he wasn't more surprised.  
  
"Let's see how well you have mastered it." Said Hiei, drawing out his kanata.  
  
"Oh . . . crap." Thought Keiko, once again gathering her energy.  
  
Keiko instantly regretted her momentary cockiness. The cobra demon stretched out her senses in the hopes she might pinpoint the fire demon's position. She couldn't. He was just too good at this game. Well, at least she knew Hiei wouldn't actually try and cut her.  
  
"AAAH!" Screeched Keiko as she barely dodged the fire demon's attack.  
  
Scratch that about not really trying to cut her. Hiei took training to a whole new intensity. Thankfully, Hiei wasn't moving at his usual fighting speed and Keiko had time to dodge. Barely.  
  
With a dosage of understandable panic, Keiko tried to think about how to get out of this situation, preferably with all body parts intact. Nothing came to mind and she simply continued to dodge the fire demon.  
  
"You aren't using your spirit attack." Growled the constantly moving black blur.  
  
"If you'd stand still I would!" Retorted Keiko while she evaded another sword thrust.  
  
Yet another thing Keiko regretted. The fire demon cuffed her on the left cheek for that comment. Keiko was thrown to the ground and stayed down for a few seconds until the fire demon's sword embedded itself into the ground scarcely an inch away from her neck.  
  
"If we were really fighting, you would be dead. Get up and stop acting like this is a game. I'm teaching you to survive Keiko. Living as a demon in any world is dangerous. Other demons will constantly be seeking you out and fighting you, due to your immense power. Remember that it isn't always the strongest that wins the fight. The strategist is the one who almost always wins. You have the strength, now you must learn the skills." Said Hiei, retrieving his sword.  
  
Keiko got up. He's right, she realized. She hadn't been taking this fight seriously. Her fight with that Lord, what was his name, she had taken seriously because her life had depended on the outcome of that fight. She needed to take every fight that seriously. She needed to become ruthless and merciless when fighting.  
  
Hiei charged at her head on. The cobra demon was ready this time and she had a plan. At first, it seemed she was going to avoid his attack, but instead, Keiko brought out one leg at the last nano-second and swept the feet out from under the fire demon. Hiei brought down one hand and vaulted onto the trunk of a tree. He then pushed away from the large plant and his kanata was once again on a collision course with Keiko.  
  
All of this happened in an incredibly short amount of time, so Keiko still hadn't touch the ground when she noticed the fire demon headed toward her. The cobra demon couldn't avoid the sword in mid-air; it was too hard to move when floating, she had to do something else. So, Keiko did what she could.  
  
The fire demon raced to the cobra demon. Two emotions entered his mind. One was disappointment for his student. The second was the thrill every living thing got from a fight. However, his disappointment was soon gone. The fire demon's sword came in contact with nothing, but the green energy that Keiko had wrapped around her arms as a shield. It propelled him backwards. Like a feline, the fire demon landed on his feet and smirked.  
  
The cobra demon also smirked, but kept the acidic energy up, just incase Hiei was up for another attack. He was. Again the fire demon approached her head on. Again Keiko prepared herself for the upcoming attack, but this time, she was going to release hedditcaa on him. Hiei had a surprise for her to though, at the last second, when Keiko let hedditcaa loose, he dodged to the side.  
  
From the corner of her eye, Keiko saw Hiei, ready to introduce her flesh to metal. The cobra demon did the only thing she could think of. With both her mind and arms, she reached out to her spirit boomerang. Mentally, physically, she grasped the energy and swung it around to greet Hiei.  
  
Hedditcaa missed! The fire demon didn't even have to evade it. The boomerang had been off by a few inches and rocketed into the clearing. Keiko knew she couldn't avoid Hiei now and just closed her eyes. Nothing happened. Keiko opened her eyes and saw Hiei a few feet away, sheathing his kanata.  
  
"You didn't . . . why not?" Asked Keiko after Hedditcaa had come back to her.  
  
"No use in damaging an ally." Answered Hiei, "Now, we need to perfect your hand to hand combat."  
  
Keiko was about to groan, until Hiei removed his cloak. Suddenly the cobra demon realized that fine tuning her fighting technique might be a good idea after all. They practiced until an hour to dawn on changing heritage fighting to Aiki-jutsu. The cobra demon was thoroughly exhausted by the time they went back to camp and caught some fish for dinner. Hiei was fairly worn out as well, a work out such as the one they went through would tire anyone out.  
  
After dinner, the two stretched out and went to sleep, or, at least it looked like they had. In truth, they were simply pretending. Hiei couldn't sleep because he knew that if he did, the masked vixen might cause more havoc. Keiko couldn't sleep because she was, once again, trying to convince herself that she did not love Hiei, even though she still did not love Yusuke, and that she should only love Hiei as a friend.  
  
Near noon, Hiei got up, he was still very tired, but he knew he couldn't sleep. He couldn't lie down any longer either, for if he did, slumber would overcome him. The fire demon got up and left the campsite with the stealth of a shadow at midnight. Despite his great skill, the cobra demon had seen his departure.  
  
Of course Keiko was curious as to what the fire demon was doing. She got up and did her best to follow Hiei. She lost him quite a few times, but always managed to find him again. It was almost as if she had some sort of . . . connection with him. It was odd really. Keiko lost sight of him. Even with the 'connection' it took her an extra ten minutes to find him this time.  
  
When she did find him, her curiosity was well rewarded.  
  
Very well rewarded.  
  
The fire demon was at the hot springs Keiko had killed that demon just yesterday, the body was gone, most likely eaten. Hiei taking a dip apparently, and without any clothes on. The water hid a diminutive amount of his sexy, whipcord body from her eyes. His arms were stretched out on the rocks around him, the well tones muscles highlighted by the bright daylight. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be thinking.  
  
Keiko's virgin eyes absorbed this sensual sight. Her pupils dilated until they disappeared completely and the bright green of her irises escaped into the white area of her eyes. Soon both of her eyes were consumed by the bright green color. A demon's eyes will only glow a single color in three situations. The first being when they are going through a massive power up. The second is when they have bloodlust. The third, it when they wish another demon . . . to be their mate.  
  
The cobra demon was overcome with the urge to make her presence known to the fire demon and much more. Just before she moved from behind the tree she saw Hiei stir and start to get up. The years of being a human over rid the powerful demonic wants and needs. Keiko snapped out of her transfixion and saw Hiei with his pants already on.  
  
"Shit."  
  
Quickly the cobra demon turned around and started running as fast as her legs would allow her back to the campsite. Hiei raised his head; he had heard something in the trees. He jumped into one of the trees, but saw nothing. He then made his way back to camp.  
  
Keiko skidded back to her sleeping place, panting. It was amazing how fast one could run when in a panic. What was also amazing is how close Keiko's heart was from exploding out of her chest. As quickly as possible, Keiko tried to look as though she had been sleeping this entire time. Five minutes later, Hiei came back and Keiko truly looked as though she was sleeping. Hiei sat down at the trunk of a tree and Keiko thought about what she had done. Finally, night came and the training continued.  
  
The next three weeks weren't incredibly eventful. Keiko continued to train until she had perfected her fighting style and could practically make hedditcaa tap dance with her mind alone if she so pleased. Add this to new attack with half a dozen tiny hedditcaas that could home onto a single target and her spirit attack was now far more formidable. Also, she now knew how to use a dagger, thanks to Hiei and a thief who had 'supplied' the small weapon.  
  
Her strength had increased as well. She was as strong as a male human her age, which was stronger for her, but with her spirit energy, she would certainly have a good chance at beating someone like Kuwabara in a fist fight. Her speed was far above the average human's, but the cobra demon had no shot whatsoever at being as fast as Hiei.  
  
The cobra demon's morph from human to demon was now complete both mentally and physically. Looking at a rotten corpse of a fallen enemy would no longer bother her; also she had picked up a rather demonic attitude. She was prideful, somewhat cruel when fighting and was far less emotional then when she had been human. It would take much more then Yusuke skipping school to get her riled up now.  
  
Hiei's dreams disappeared and Keiko's dreams continued to invade her mind, but she tended to enjoy them. The gem of Caxix was of no concern to Keiko at the present and she felt no need to reveal it to Hiei, so it was left undisturbed. Now comes the day after these three weeks.  
  
Hiei and Keiko had just awakened and were eating fish. Hiei then got up and signaled Keiko to do the same. The cobra demon nodded and followed. The fire demon became the almost invisible black blur that Keiko hated following. Good thing she had that link with him. It had steadily gotten stronger as the days went by. Still the cobra demon could not figure out what was the cause of her connection with Hiei, but she wasn't complaining.  
  
The two demons sped through the forest and then they crossed a mile long plain that led to another forest. With a grimace, Keiko remembered this to be the place the steel wing demon had nearly killed her. The trees were still looked as sinister as the day she had first seen this place, but she wasn't scared of it anymore.  
  
Finally, Hiei stopped at a familiar barren landscape. Yes, this was definitely the place. There was the portal, acid green like her eyes. This was the entrance of the Makai. Keiko turned to Hiei and gave him a questioning glance.  
  
"You're training is complete." Was all that he said.  
  
Keiko turned to look at the portal. She wasn't nearly as happy as she had imagined she would be. This place had become her home and Hiei had become . . . a friend? No, he was more to her then that now, although, the reasons for her affections remained a mystery. Sadly, she was no more then a friend at best for him. Still, she needed to go back. The human world was where she belonged.  
  
"Hiei?" Whispered Keiko.  
  
The fire demon turned to the cobra demon.  
  
"Hn?"  
  
The demoness walked up to him and tried to say something. Instead, she hugged him and before he could push her away, Keiko let go and jumped down the gap in the barrier between the two worlds.  
  
"See you soon Hiei!" Was the last thing Keiko said before the green consumed her.  
  
With a look of indifference, the male demon chose to forget his former companion's childish act. He turned around and started the journey back to the forest he resided in. For a few seconds, he thought about how silent it was without the demoness. Hiei brushed that thought aside though; he didn't want or need that troublesome girl's presence. Even as Hiei thought, he knew he would miss her somewhat. An hour later, Hiei was back at the campsite. He sat down on a branch and soon was asleep.  
  
"Hello Hiei." Said a familiar masked girl.  
  
Lady BDF: MUHAHAHAHA! A CLIFFHANGER! MUHAHAHAHAHA! *Ahem* Hi reviewer people! Hey, what are you doing with . . . those really, really . . . big weapons of mass destruction? No, hehehe, you aren't going to . . . ACK! HELP ME! 


	12. Truths Revealed

Disclaimer: *Sigh* I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, but Hiei is MINE! MINE YOU HEAR ME?! . . . Wow Mr. Lawyer person, that's a really big gun you have there. You know what? I decided you can have Hiei back . . . for now.  
  
To Midnight Lilly: They'll get together soon enough, don't worry!  
  
To DeMoNic GigGleS: THANK YOU! And don't worry, something is going to happen soon enough . . .  
  
To Kyra Windwood: ^___^ Glad you liked that chapter. As for the heart attack thingy, if it happens again, remember *not* to sue the authoress.  
  
To asian princess 61: I'm so happy you love the story!  
  
To Jen: Thank you! And as for Hiei, don't worry, it *will* drive him crazy!  
  
To ShadowCat: Thanks and I'm doing the whole updating thing, of course.  
  
To Dark Duelist: Thank you and I'M SO SORRY I GOT WRITER'S BLOCK! Can I keep Sesshomaru after he's done torturing me? For . . . uh . . . personal reasons?  
  
To Black Gem: ^___^ Thank you! I am, in fact, trying to write my own stories and hope to put them on market when I finish them.  
  
To FallenStardust: Sorry, but I'm updating so now you can know!  
  
To Reno Spiegel: Well, it had to end at some time. Besides, more good stuff is on the way.  
  
To lia-goddess: I am eagerly awaiting your update and thank you for the compliments!  
  
To the darkness780: -^___^- I am honored to be on your favorites list. As for being Hiei's girlfriend, maybe we can share?  
  
To rogue solus: Is this soon enough? Please forgive me!  
  
To Dark Master Hiei: Oh, please don't cry! I don't know what to do with crying people! Okay, here's another chapter, happy? *Pats DMH's back*  
  
To BioHazard 101: So many nice compliments, THANK YOU!  
  
To keoke14: Aww, that's so sweet of you!  
  
To Jokid: Ow. *Rubs head* All that will come in time, don't worry.  
  
To Anonymous: ^___^ Thank you!  
  
To Alex Warlorn: You have valid points I'm going to respond to and the rest of the stuff is just nit-picking criticism I don't have the time, nor the energy to bother with.  
  
First off, Keiko's ability to mask her aura happened instantly because I needed it too. At some point in the story I'll mention that cobra demons have the ability to mask their aura for one reason or another, okay? Second, Keiko hasn't done anything at all. She wasn't even a demon two or three months ago. How can spirit world have a file on her? Or at least a file that will do them any good?  
  
As for all you're other questions, they're either so insignificant to the story I don't want to waste time answering them or they're details that will be explained later on.  
  
One last thing, just enjoy the story, point out anything big (like the masking aura thing, I'm going to fix that!) and try to forget the little stuff.  
  
To mizustarangel: Oooh! You have the DVDs?! Me wants! And thanks for the compliments, ect!  
  
To ChildofMidnight: You're totally welcome and thank you for the nice compliments!  
  
To Lady.CaT-eyes/K: Thank you and as for the rest of your note, I'll consider it, but I'm not promising anything.  
  
To LadyBlushaLot: Yes she has! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
To Moon Assassin 13: Thanks!  
  
To pixie-atme: Thanks, but as for Keiko . . . I wouldn't call her ugly. Her skin is a different color, she has claws and that's about it!  
  
To Fluffywolfy: Okay, continuing onward! Thanks for the lovely compliments!  
  
To bubbles6787: Keiko jump Hiei? O.O! That would have been funny! As for the cliffhangers, yep, we're definitely cruel.  
  
To toko: :P Kidding! I was going to cut it off before the springs, so be grateful I didn't make it a completely evil cliffhanger.  
  
To Kauilanifire: What's with Keiko falling in love with Hiei? Erm . . . the story? Thanks for reviewing!  
  
To Star Wolf: ^___^ Thank you! I'm trying to update as fast as possible.  
  
To hieitheone13: Thanks! So glad you like the story's mood!  
  
To WolfOfDarkness: ^____^ Thanks!  
  
To Melissa: Thanks! As for pixie-atme's story, I've got it covered.  
  
To Ale-Bloody-Roses: O.O Oh Gods . . . ALE, YOU'RE ALIVE! I was *sniff* so sure *sniff* you died this time! As for the revolution, I'll help! Finals, tests, exams, quizzes and homework in general should be thrown into the most horrible of the seven hells. *Gets a laser gun and terminator outfit* Terminator Lady BDF and Rambo Ale to the rescue of all who suffer from evil teachers! Now for Kuwabara, well . . . I have to give the guy *some* credit for realism. Otherwise, I would have Keiko kick his ass into the first chapter and back. Maybe I can work that in anyway . . .  
  
To soul: ^___^ Glad you love the story and as for Keiko's dreams . . . there is a reason for them.  
  
To J-sama: Love your new e-mail! As for your ideas, how could I not use them?!  
  
To AnimeBeauty: Hey thanks! As for the story, of course I'm going to continue! How could I let down all my adoring fans! Kidding, kidding.  
  
To makulit: Not telling! As for the humanoid form thingy, you can read that out in chapter eight.  
  
To kiss from a rose: Hey, thanks! I love it when people like my stories!  
  
To An'ei no Tenshi: ^___^ I'm glad you like the masked girl, she's a card, isn't she?  
  
To hi3iyamiInuyashagodess22: -^___^- THANK YOU!  
  
To Youko Demon: Thanks for the compliments! As for La La La, well, she's troubled and I pity her for being so closed minded, that's why I apologized for whoever is the cause of that. The people she hangs out with must be a terrible influence on the poor girl. However, if you want a more fiery response, check out one of my reviews in the story 'Aurora Borealis'. It's another story she flamed, unfortunately.  
  
To Naya: Yes, nano-seconds are real. Yes it is faster then a split. I've never heard of a giffy, a gamma yes, but a giffy no. Yes, they have been timed; scientists can do many amazing things nowadays. I don't think these questions are stupid. And it's ningen. Glad you like the story!  
  
To Anonymous: B-B-But if you slice me in half, how will I continue?! Just to be safe, I will.  
  
To Shadowfox: @_@ * Head spinning from being shaken so much* Read to find out, read to find out, read to find out, read to find, read to find, read to find out, read to find and read to find out. To Sheepchi: YAY! Good for you! Can't wait for some stories and I'll keep updating.  
  
To yukina901: Umm . . . trying to make people more interested in the next chapter? Was that a rhetorical question? My brain hurts . . .  
  
To Youko Demon: Okay! Okay! Yeesh, enough with the death threats . . .  
  
To gandolegornliodorypinieieta: Thank you! -^___^-  
  
To malikut: Thanks. The problem is, I just get *stuck* sometimes and there isn't a whole lot you can do when you're fresh out of ideas.  
  
To asian princess 61: I'm writing!  
  
To Tsunami: I'm so sorry! It's just that, I get stuck and/or write myself into a hole I can't get out of.  
  
To Arriana: Continuing! Happy now? Good. I like it when my reviewers are happy! -^___^-  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 12  
  
Keiko sprang out of the portal and landed a foot away from it. Instantly the noise of the city plagued her poor ears. She covered them and waited till they adjusted. When they did, the cobra demon looked around. The alleyway looked exactly like it did when she had first seen it. With slight confusion, she realized it was day time here in the human world.  
  
"Must have separate times." Thought Keiko.  
  
Looking down at herself, Keiko saw that she was nowhere near fit to be seen by humans. She hardly looked like a mortal in these clothes and the demonic attributes weren't helping. With a small sigh, Keiko stepped into the bright daylight. She did her best to go unnoticed by any humans while racing back to her human home. When the cobra demon reached her house, pulled the key out from its hiding place and opened the lock. Pausing, she took a deep breath and walked inside after taking off her worn boots. No one was home. That was fine; the demoness wanted to readjust alone, rather then in the company of others.  
  
Walking to her room was an odd experience for Keiko. The walls never had seemed so constricting before, nor had the echo of her normally quite foot steps so loud. Simply being there made memory after forgotten memory resurface in her mind. These hallways that she had never really seen before now fascinated her to no end. The amazing straightness of the boards, the wires and pipes that were inside the walls. All of this was a marvel of human progress.  
  
Finally, Keiko reached her room. Her mother and . . . her foster father had not disturbed it in any way. Everything, down to the smallest trinket was in the same place it had been when she had left. Looking at her bed, the cobra demon wanted to fall on it and go to sleep forever. She couldn't though; Gods only knew what sort of filth she had dragged in from the Makai.  
  
Turning away from her room, Keiko walked to the bathroom. She was filled with marvel that rivaled her amazement with the hallways. The white tiles in particular fascinated her. Gingerly, she the shower on and watched the heated water come out of the shower head. After the cobra demon had seen her fill of that sight, she turned to the medicine cabinet and looked for her special shampoo she only used when an important event was coming up, like a school dance. With a wryly grin, Keiko wondered what Hiei would have done if she said she needed to go home first and wash her hair with the special shampoo before embarking on that major chapter in her life.  
  
The demoness snapped out of her reverie as she felt the steam of the shower against her skin. Pulling out the shampoo and a new bar of her favorite soap, Keiko shut the medicine cabinet. Once again she paused to smile ruefully at her reflection in the mirror. It was so different from the old reflection her human body had. The blackish-purple hair, green eyes and fangs made her look so much more . . . demonic. She liked it.  
  
Quickly the demoness took off her dirty clothes and made sure that the towels were the big white fluffy kind. Keiko removed the gem as well, but it felt as though she had just taken away a part of her herself. It didn't hurt; it simply felt as though she had taken a small reservoir of her own aura off. So, the cobra demon put it back on. She stepped in the water and waited for the slight burning sensation to stop. After being outside for a long period of time, pipe water always burned a little bit at first.  
  
Then Keiko started to massage the water into her scalp, loving the way it felt when the grime hidden in her scalp was forced out of her hair. Despite her efforts in the Makai to stay as clean as possible, the water became discolored after being in contact with her body. After five minutes, the cobra demon decided the worst of the muck was off and she could now use the shampoo.  
  
While humming a little made up tune, Keiko unscrewed the cap of her precious shampoo and sniffed its soft peach fragrance. It smelled much stronger and more artificial then when she was human, but its aroma was still a pleasant one. Once she had put a generous amount in her hand, Keiko rubbed the cool gel like substance into her hair and sighed softly as it turned into suds.  
  
After what had to be the longest shower of her life by far, Keiko stepped out of the shower so clean, that if she had rubbed her arms together, they would have squeaked. She then treated herself to nice blow dry with the hair dryer. Afterwards the cobra demon waltzed down the hall to her room, wrapped in the biggest fluffiest towel she could find and with a huge smile on her face. Keiko then flopped onto her bed and simply stayed there, grinning like a manic. After a few minutes, she jumped up and opened her closet.  
  
She pulled out a soft sun yellow dress and put it on. There was a problem. The dress was too tight around the chest, the arms, the shoulders and just about anywhere else she had gotten new growth or new muscles. Keiko pulled out a school uniform and put that on. With a grimace, the cobra demon noted that not only did it not fit, the coloration of her uniform clashed horribly with her neon green eyes and black-violet hair.  
  
This meant that desperate measures had to be taken.  
  
It was time to go shopping!  
  
Keiko put on a sky blue skirt a friend had given her on a birthday, but had gotten it one size too large and a large sweater an aunt had hand-knitted for her in the wrong size. They fit now and she didn't look too bad, although her fingers were just itching to rip off, or melt off, the fuzzy pink bunnies on the purple sweater. Oh well, she'd just have to live with it for now.  
  
Now that she was . . . dressed, Keiko pulled out her money box from under her bed. She took out all the money she had gotten last summer form working part time in the family restaurant and put it into her purse. Finally, she put on her Makai boots, because they were the only ones that fit, and headed out the door.  
  
While she was walking to the shopping area, all Keiko could think of was how utterly ridiculous she looked and the best ways to avoid anyone's attention for the second time today. She managed to do this, but either blending into or avoiding large crowds. After ten minutes of wandering the sidewalks, the cobra demon found a store she liked.  
  
If she had still been human, Keiko wouldn't have even considered going into this store. Many of the clothes were those people would wear to clubs or raves. The cobra demon liked them though; they were fresh, new and dark, just like her. Walking inside, she ignored the clerk's stares. After all, she was wearing a pink bunny sweater in a punk clothes store.  
  
The cobra demon spent four hours in that store and others similar too it picking out a new wardrobe. It was dusk outside when she was finally ready to go home with her half a dozen shopping bags in her arms. When she stepped out of the last store, she looked like a completely different person.  
  
Her hair was in a bun with small spikes of her black purple tinted hair sticking out here and there. All this was held together with neon green chopsticks. Next was her shirt. It was a tight violet tank top that had a black snake printed on it. It had white venom spurting out of its mouth in a spiral pattern that circled its body. After that there are the pants. They were dark demin jeans that flared out near the feet. The jeans had symbols and Japanese characters in bright green covering them in a confusing pattern. For shoes, she had high-heeled, black sandals with a single black, wide band of cloth to keep them on her feet. Over all of this she wore a black leather coat with slits in the sleeves that showed her creamy white arms. Also the jacket had a small, printed on green, serpent encircling the mid-arm area of the jacket. The coat was her favorite article of clothing, next to the gem of Caxix that she now proudly displayed above her shirt.  
  
Today had been a grand day for Keiko. The only thing that could have made it better was if Hiei had been there. Then again, maybe it was better that she had gone shopping alone. The cobra demon could actually visualize Hiei turning the whole shopping area into a pile of ash. Still, she missed him, even if he would have ruined her shopping experience.  
  
She shouldn't be thinking about Hiei though. What about school? What about Yusuke? What about her other friends? How long had she been gone? What were people going to say about her appearance? Would anyone guess the truth? Did she have a ton of school work to catch up on? How was her foster father going to take this? Had her mother told him anything? If she had not, how would he take it when Keiko told him? Should the demoness tell him anything? What about the gem of Caxix? What about other demons? When would she see Hiei again? Was the fire demon alright? Did he miss her? What had he been dreaming about? Why was she thinking about Hiei again? Life was so complicated . . .  
  
The cobra demon stopped. She was in front of the entrance to her human domain. There were people inside. She could easily make out the silhouettes of her mother and the man she had thought to be her father at one point in time. Keiko's face went from worry to a cool mask of indifference. With all the time she had spent with the fire demon, she had learned that keeping a 'poker face' in battle gave you an edge, an advantage over your opponent. The same was true, if not more so, with verbal warfare. Seeing her parents again, Keiko knew she would need every advantage she could get.  
  
It would be so easy just to turn away right now and never have to see them again. Just to leave this world and never deal with her façade happy family behind. She would never have to deal with this mess her mother had created. The demoness wouldn't have to go in there, smile and pretend everything was just perfect. No explaining her absences, no lying to her mother's husband, her step-father. Leaving right now and never coming back to the human world. Everyone would believe her dead and she would live peacefully in the Makai. Keiko would miss Yusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara, but if she had Hiei's companionship, it was an option to be considered.  
  
There was just one, important, to her at least, down-side to this plan.  
  
It was the coward's way out.  
  
Despite her former human weakness, Keiko Ukimura has never been and never will be a coward. She was able to deal with emotional problems in a more then adequate manner. Sometimes she had simply needed help from someone who was more capable to deal with problems that involved physical strength.  
  
The cobra demon had her own morals, values, and own code of honor. According to these unwritten documents that were stored away in her mind, that had been honed over the years, she had to face her 'family'. Once again taking the key from its hiding place, Keiko inserted it into the lock and opened the door.  
  
"I'm home." Whispered Keiko quietly.  
  
The two humans looked up at the demoness. Her mother smiled widely at her from the couch and got up to hug her daughter. Her father grinned over the top of his newspaper and also ran up to meet who he believed to be his child. It was a crushing family hug from the American sit-coms. Keiko could almost hear the badly made theme song music with the cooing and loving remarks of how they missed her and how different she looked from her parents that her brain barely registered.  
  
Pulling away, Keiko smiled the face splitting fake smile, but had to stop and pull back to her mask of ice. The need to scream at them both to stop pretending was quickly overtaking her need to be rational, tactful and wait for the right moment to sort things out. She turned away from the humans and mumbled something about being tired and ran up to her room, so her parents would not see it.  
  
Keiko kept her face in its mask while she put away her new clothes. Slowly she pulled off each tag and sticker before putting the new clothes away. After she had done that, the demoness sat and stared out her bedroom window. Her head rested on her crossed arms that leaned on the window sill. The stars were barely visible through the city smog. The moon was a sickly, lurid yellow, it resembled dirty glass, and the great sphere of light even seemed somewhat transparent. How ironic that this moon had so much poetry written about it, yet the Makai moon was more beautiful then it by ten- fold. Perhaps even more then that.  
  
Closing her eyes, Keiko remembered one night when she had seen the Makai moon . . .  
  
She had tried to sleep, but was restless despite the training she had undergone the preceding day. Keiko opened both eyes and gazed at the perfect scene before her. The sky had been velvet ebony, dotted with tiny circles of light that glowed with a pearly luminescence. The moon itself was full and round. It looked as though some God had taken a circle of pure ivory and hung it in the sky. Around the moon were three sapphire colored rings. Wisps of lavender clouds swirled near the edges of the elegant sphere. Sometimes a strand or two of the mist-like forms would enter the white light and the lilac would be infused with a glittery gold.  
  
Then she saw something a darker black then the sky above her enter the path of the moon's glow. Crouching on a tree branch, with some kind of weapon in hand, the shape was still. The demoness was about to prepare hedditcaa and eliminate this intruder, but stopped as he stood up. The dark silhouette was about her height and even in the dim light you could see the taunt muscles on his form. His hair was in still in a flame-like shape, his cape fluttered in the slight breeze and his eyes were a deep ruby. In dim light, a demon's eyes would often glow a single color. However, it was not added to the list with the other three reasons. This was a result of poor lighting, not a reaction within a demon's body. Still, it gave this already surreal moment an even more dream-like quality.  
  
Keiko watched the fire demon settle down for sleep. And then she too slipped into slumber. Her night was filled with pleasurable dreams of stars, moons, heat and 'fiery' passion.  
  
The demon heard a creak in the hallway; it snatched her away from the memory. There was a creak in the hallway and a familiar aura. Even though Keiko had never been able to sense aura when she was human, she recognized this one. When she opened the door, Keiko knew her mother was there, but did not greet her. The cobra demon simply chose not to acknowledge her presence.  
  
"Keiko?"  
  
"Mother." Responded Keiko dryly.  
  
The human stalled for a bit and then sat on her daughter's bed. Mrs. Ukimura flinched slightly when those acid green burned into her with their intense gaze.  
  
"H-How was your trip?" Asked the woman.  
  
"Long, hard, exhausting, I nearly died more then once." Answered Keiko in monotone.  
  
"Oh, well, I guess you w-want to rest." Said Mrs. Ukimura, getting up so she could flee.  
  
"Sit. Down. Now." Snapped Keiko, "I have some questions to ask . . . and you owe it to me to answer them."  
  
Mrs. Ukimura hesitated and then sat down.  
  
"Why did you do it? Why did you betray your husband?" Whispered Keiko.  
  
The young demon had thought long and hard on what questions to ask, so there was no delay. The human next to her looked somewhat nervous.  
  
"It really doesn't matter-"  
  
"It does to me."  
  
The woman closed her eyes and seemed to be reminiscing. Finally she reopened her eyes and in a hushed whispering voice, she answered her daughter's question.  
  
"I-It was . . . I, I was . . . bored. Life was so, so ordinary and I was so young. I married . . . too soon; I met my husband too soon. Then on day, I went to this club . . . and met him." Answered Keiko's mother. "It happened like this . . ."  
  
The young Mrs. Ukimura was in a dank, smoke-filled club. Music was loud and made the floor vibrate with its booming rhythm. This place was on the wrong side of town and known to be very dangerous. The only thing that separated this club from a rave was . . . nothing actually. It was a rave. Complete with drugs, alcohol and sex. The younger Mrs. Ukimura straightened out her tiny skirt in a nervous manner. She shouldn't be here. She should be home, with her husband.  
  
The girl's eyes narrowed. Her husband. Her sweet, kind, caring, and sensitive husband, he was everything a girl wanted. But that got old fast. She was barely nineteen and already settled down. No excitement, no adventure, no traveling, no mystery. That was why she was at this party.  
  
"Good girls are usually in bed by now." Said a voice behind her.  
  
With a yelp, the girl turned around to see two acid green eyes. She backed up a step and tripped over her overly large high heeled boots. Two strong arms caught her and pulled her close. She found herself starring into the face of a young man that looked no more then twenty-two years old.  
  
Looks can be deceiving.  
  
He wasn't much taller then she was, especially with her boots. This man had short black hair that shone purple when the light hit it. He had a light build on his lithe form that she could see through his skin tight top. Over one eye he had a thin, jagged scar and a tattoo of a green snake with a chain of black skulls dangling from its mouth on his right arm. He smirked as the girl pushed herself away from him and almost fell to the floor.  
  
"Wh-Who said I was a good girl?" Retorted the young Mrs. Ukimura weakly.  
  
"No one." Said the man, slowly walking up to her.  
  
The gleam in those eyes was that of a predator. He grabbed her and leaned down to her face. She could feel his warm breath against her skin. She was lost, swimming in the glittering neon green pools of his iris. He asked her to dance, she accepted. They danced twice. The first time was sensual and slightly erotic.  
  
"Having fun?" Whispered this mysterious man as he caressed the small of her back.  
  
The girl nodded and leaned closer against him.  
  
With one hand, the man lifted her head and lowered his lips onto hers. He nipped at her bottom lip, seeking entry to her mouth. In response the girl moaned. Their tongues danced together when their feet stopped. Then there came the second dance. It was taken to a private room and lasted the entire night.  
  
In the morning, the younger Mrs. Ukimura woke up, alone, except for the unborn baby inside her.  
  
"So . . . that was my father. A magician, all smoke, magic and mystery. Even knows the disappearing act." Said Keiko bitterly.  
  
"Yes . . . he was, but . . . he did leave one other thing." Said Mrs. Ukimura, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket.  
  
Keiko took the paper and unfolded it, carefully. It was very old. Her eyes widened when she saw the contents the document held.  
  
-- Mate  
  
I would be lying if I said I loved you. I would also be lying if I said I was human. What I am is a member of a near extinct race of demon. Yes, demons are real. Endangered demons have . . . special instincts. So, I ask of you, for the sake of my kind, take care of our child.  
  
Another thing. When the baby (it will be a she) comes of age she will begin to experience extreme pain. She might even come close to dieing. This is a reaction of mixed blood. The only thing you need do is tell her of her ancestry. She will be fine; a female cobra demon attracts male quite easily and can mask aura at birth (it is part of being a near dead species). Thusly, she will find help.  
  
May the Gods watch over you.  
  
--Daughter  
  
I know you must hate me for all that I have put you through. In some ways I hate myself as well. However, I think you might know already why I spawned you. Demons are different from humans. The need for the species to survive is stronger in demons then in humans. Especially in a race such as ours.  
  
I wasted my life denying my nature, simply for the reason of defiance. The need to reproduce finally consumed me before I could find my soul mate. Someone I truly cared for to complete both the ritual and the act of reproduction with. I wish you better luck in that matter daughter.  
  
Good fortune, Gods protect you and try to stay out of trouble  
  
-- Lluko Sticx (Toxic Skull in human dialect)  
  
"My . . . my father wrote this?" Said Keiko after she had re-read it several times.  
  
Mrs. Ukimura nodded slowly.  
  
"Almost sounds like he cared for me." Said Keiko tonelessly.  
  
"I think that's because he did care for you. You're his child, his only child. Every parent, demon or otherwise cares for their children in some way." Said Mrs. Ukimura, smiling slightly.  
  
Mrs. Ukimura pulled her daughter into a hug. Keiko might never forgive her for betraying her husband, and maybe she didn't deserve to be forgiven, but they still loved each other.  
  
"So . . . he doesn't know, does he?" Asked Keiko after they had separated.  
  
"No." Answered Mrs. Ukimura, knowing the demoness meant her husband.  
  
"Are you going to tell him? He deserves to know." Said Keiko.  
  
"Someday I will." Sighed the woman.  
  
"He will need to know." Insisted Keiko.  
  
"I know, but-" Whispered Mrs. Ukimura.  
  
"Quite!" Hissed Keiko.  
  
"Dear?" Asked Mr. Ukimura, who had almost snuck in without them noticing. "Keiko, what are you still doing up? You have school in the morning."  
  
"I what?!"  
  
In the Makai . . .  
  
The fire demon was in that limbo-like border between sleep and wakefulness. Similarities from this border to the one between life and death were shockingly close. More than anyone cares to admit actually. In both these planes everything was hazy and severely slow. However, with the jagan, the demon managed to retain most of his senses in the limbo and when he was slumbering.  
  
With these slightly dulled senses, he realized something was not as it should be. The tree branch he had chosen to sleep on had rough bark on it. Yet, he was resting on silken pillows. Unless the tree had sprouted silk in his sleep, which was very unlikely, something was seriously fucked up here.  
  
"Hello Hiei." Whispered the masked vixen.  
  
That certainly answered his question.  
  
Hiei's eyes snapped open and tried to push himself off the bedding, but was unable too. Those chains that connected his wrists to the incredibly sturdy wall were not giving away anytime soon. The same was true with those chains on his ankles that also connected to the wall. He also found out, with a considerably amount of masked panic, that he was gagged and his shirt had conspicuously gone missing, leaving him in a pair of simple crimson pants. Once again, he was without a weapon to define himself, and his jagan refused to do anything he wanted it to.  
  
Looking around he saw that he was in a rather spacious, completely stone room. The rock was red sandstone. He was in the center of the room, lying on a huge pile of silk scarlet pillows. The place was dimly light with torches and had only one door. The door was made entirely out of a black metal, with huge locks and bars covering it.  
  
In front of the door was the masked girl. She was dressed, if you could call it that, in a dark purple type 'bikini' with a near transparent dark green robe and black, lacy, high-heeled sandals. Her mask was rather simple. It was dark green with two violet snakes intertwined on it.  
  
The girl's grin rivaled that of a shark's in terms of wanted to eat something up. On her right finger was a large black key, obviously the key to the door out of this room. She swung the key around in a circle on her finger. Then, a glowing green liquid sprang forth from her nails and dissolved it, thusly trapping the fire demon. In a room. With her. Alone.  
  
She grinned even more as the fire demon's eyes widened. He looked so adorable when nervous. The temptress slipped off her robe. Then walked up to the pillows before getting on all fours and crawling over the soft bedding to the fire demon.  
  
The girl positioned herself on top of Hiei and took off his gag. She grabbed a small box that materialized out of thin air. Before the fire demon could vocalize his outrage, the girl stuffed something in his mouth.  
  
Something cold.  
  
Something tasty.  
  
Something that was . . . sweet snow?!  
  
Yes, sweet snow, chocolate sweet snow with dark chocolate chunks.  
  
"I'm not cruel you know." Said the girl, stuffing more of the ice cream in his mouth. "I just like messing with your head." And then ruffled his hair with her free hand.  
  
"Hn. Aren't we in my head?" Said Hiei, who was looking away from the girl's poorly clad body, which was rather hard considering she was on top of him.  
  
"Yes, no, maybe so. I believe this is somewhat like your subconscious only . . . warped." The girl sighed.  
  
"Why am I here?" Asked Hiei.  
  
As long as the girl was in a talkative, rather then 'playful' mood, Hiei wanted as many answers as he could get.  
  
"Well I have to-Hey! I'm not going to do anything. I can't, sadly." Responded the girl to Hiei's private thoughts.  
  
"How-"  
  
"One of the perks of having a soul mate is that you can read their thoughts, if you or your lover has telekinetic abilities, that is." The girl chuckled, eating some of the ice cream herself.  
  
The ground dropped out beneath the three eyed demon. Two words alone occupied his mind. Soul mate. What had she meant 'soul mate'?! Surely she was not suggesting that-that SHE was HIS soul mate!  
  
The masked girl stared at the boy whose muscular body she was resting on. His eyes weren't bugging out, but it was hard to tell if he was breathing or not. A more tactful approach might have gone better then surprising him with that tid-bit of information. She better clear things up or he would probably end up with a heart attack.  
  
"Relax! This isn't real remember? Well, actually that isn't right, this is more like a premonition, or a sort of message really. I'm not your soul mate in any case." Quickly explained the masked girl.  
  
Hiei exhaled. The Gods didn't hate him.  
  
"However, the girl I represent is your soul mate."  
  
". . . What?" Questioned Hiei.  
  
"You know how dreams sometimes mean things? With a jagan, the meaning of dreams become clearer, unfortunately, the blasted thing also blocks out things you don't want to accept. Hence the mask. That and this dream is a message of sorts. A result of fate's intervention, the ritual and many other things."  
  
The fire demon let this sink in. Mulling it about in his mind, he came up with this conclusion:  
  
The girl was either insane, a terrible liar, or both.  
  
The girl's eyebrow twitched slightly.  
  
"Nonsense. This is just a crazy dream from that poison Keiko injected into me." Whispered Hiei, mainly to himself.  
  
"You're partly right there. Some of this is the result of the poison. You see, unwittingly, unknowingly, you and Keiko started something very important to cobra demons when she saved you." Wickedly stated the girl. "It will make your body . . . react strangely when you're around her. Don't even think about avoiding her though because if you do, we get to have a slumber party every night. Also there is the part about your energy being drained because of a certain gem that could eventually kill you because of your link with Keiko, but that's just a minor complication."  
  
"What gem? How do I destroy it?" Asked Hiei, narrowing his eyes, still not fully trusting the girl's sanity.  
  
"You can't destroy it that would kill Keiko! Not to mention Koenma would be greatly displeased-Oh drat!" The girl said suddenly.  
  
Hiei watched her gaze leave him and travel to the walls. Solid red stone was wavering as if it was shrouded in smoke. It seemed the dream was about to end.  
  
"Now, pay attention, if you want to live, you need to take this gem from Keiko and return it to it's rightful place where it will no longer be able to hurt anyone, provided it doesn't get stolen again. You need to do this before the gem steals all your strength and without getting . . . distracted by anything you, um, want."  
  
The sandstone liquefied and the world around him collapsed. It seemed this nightmare was now over, but a new one that took place in reality was about to unfold. If the girl was telling the truth, that is.  
  
"One last thing." Whispered the girl into the three-eyed demon's ear. "This will tell you how much time is left."  
  
She pressed her lips to the back of his left hand. Electric pain traveled through his entire body before coming back to that one spot. Then the girl too evaporated into thin air.  
  
The fire demon woke up and looked around. He was in a tree, in a forest, in the Makai, it was almost twilight. Hiei wasn't dreaming anymore. The fire demon rubbed the bridge of his nose in the hopes that it would help rid him of those dreams. Opening his eyes, two more stared back at him.  
  
On his hand was a bright emerald snake with silver eyes. The snake curled around a black 'K' that shone purple when the light hit it right.  
  
"Damn it."  
  
Lady BDF: I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY THIS CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG! I got a writer's block the size of Mt. Everest, an evil English project that took FOREVER to complete, loads of tests, mounds of homework and was slightly depressed.  
  
But then . . .  
  
I got all these GREAT reviews and death threats! Not only that, but it was my B-day (I'm officially 14 now!) sometime in these past few weeks and I got . . .  
  
The Yu Yu Hakusho 'Rescue Yukina' DVD  
  
The Yu Yu Hakusho 'Dark Tournament' DVD  
  
The Yu Yu Hakusho 'The Movie' DVD  
  
And all . . .  
  
Unedited.  
  
WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  
  
Suddenly I was inspired! So thank you, thank you everyone who made this chapter possible!  
  
Bye! -^___^- 


	13. Darker Shadows

Disclaimer: I don't own Hiei. I'm just borrowing him, for about, oh I don't know, twenty thousand years or so. (Sadly, that was only a joke)  
  
Notes are at the end of the chapter.  
  
SECRETS IN MY BLOOD, CHAPTER 13  
  
A single pallid shaft of light slipped through the blockade of nebulous grey clouds and washed over the roof top. All except two places on the roof were illuminated. In these places, shadows pooled and became more potent in their inky blackness. These shadows surrounded the two apparitions as they rose from their darkness and clung to them.  
  
It was not much longer until the demons had emerged completely from the dark shadows. They floated, like specters above the dark pool that grew and bubbled beneath them. Both then turned their heads to the left and then turned to the right, slowly examining the tranquil human setting that was so different from the dismal place they hailed from.  
  
The two demons were mirror images of each other. Their entire bodies were covered by a black material that had been ripped into large patches and sown together with black dyed leather. Only one part of their bodies were visible, the eyes. They were a dull, grey color with no pupil, no cornea, just a lifeless, soulless, grey.  
  
Both of them then bent down and touched the dark pool under them with their hidden hands. It was eerie, how they were so perfectly synchronized with each other. It was also strange that once their hands touched the liquid shadows, the size of the pool seemed to decrease. And as the darkness disappeared, the eyes of the demons became black as well.  
  
Nothing separated them from the night sky except their near invisible silhouettes on the roof. But that changed when the grey clouds once again eclipsed the moon and it's potentially life saving light. Yes, the simple illumination was perhaps the only thing that could save someone this night, because these demons had a purpose for being here. They had a master who had given them this purpose and orders to follow. Orders to kill.  
  
Now invisible to even the keenest eye, the two demons leapt off their perch and levitated next to the window of a teenage girl. She was asleep, barely. Something troubled her, causing the girl to toss and turn. She turned toward them. Still asleep, of course, but it did give the two assassins a chance to study their target.  
  
She was young. Raven black hair that turned purple in the blue light of her human mechanism that displayed numbers. Small fangs poked out of her mouth, which was set in a frown. Her hand was soft on the back side, but the palms were calloused. She had muscles, but they weren't bulky. However, stature was never a good indicator of demon strength. This girl was also pretty, any demon would have to admit that, but these assassins were different from other demons. They only appreciated the beauty of blood.  
  
The apparitions did not ponder the reason why this demon would subject herself to the constraining life of a human; they instead lifted their hands and went through the glass of the window. Not only would this allow them to enter the room without opening the window, it would also block out all sounds and light that might be made during the fight, if there was one. By doing this, no one from the outside would be able to interfere. Now inside the girl's room, the synchronism of the two demons stopped, although the fluid way they moved still continued. One of the apparitions hovered above the target and prepared to suffocate. The other gently lifted the silky black hair away from her neck, revealing the chain of which the gem their employer had spoke of. With no hesitation, the demon meant to take the necklace grabbed the chain and the other demon lowered his now shapeless hands to the girl's face.  
  
Burning, green, fiery death flooded in his arm, hallowing it out. The demon that had tried to take the necklace now saw a cobra demon hissing at him.  
  
The demon looked down at his maimed arm as he pulled away. It was glowing acid green under the black fabric; that was why she could see him. Glancing up, the poisoned demon saw that his accomplice had been knocked into another room, without damaging the wall, of course. Also, he noticed that the target looked substantially different when she was awake.  
  
Her eyes were blazing neon green and her hair was longer now. Spiritual energy crackled around her. The arm she had slashed him with was now a dark purple up to the elbow. Claw like nails dripped with a toxic emerald venom, as did her fangs, which showed clearly through her open mouth.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Whispered the furious cobra demon.  
  
The intruder demon pulled at his poisoned arm and prepared to form himself a new one and discard the dying flesh. He did not bother to answer the girl's question or wonder at the oddity of it. You see, the first question many victims asked was 'Who are you?' or, for those who were more knowledgeable of the supernatural, 'What are you?' She, however, was more collected then any of his other victims. She had asked a question that mattered the most first. That was a mark of a great warrior.  
  
Unfortunately for the girl, a mark was only a mark. It did not mean she was a warrior of any merit. What it meant, was that she simply had the potential to be one. At that moment, the second shadow demon shot back into the room and grabbed the girl. His hands shifted to fit her nose and mouth. He was smothering her.  
  
The cobra demon froze for a second, but only for one second. She sunk her teeth into the soft shadow flesh, forcing her captor to free her. The greenish-black shadow disappeared through the walls again. The girl then turned to the first shadow demon she had poisoned.  
  
She could not see him. He was once again invisible in the pitch blackness of the room. The demoness seemed to realize this. She fumbled with something on the wall next to a small table.  
  
A small 'click' sound was followed instantly by the little of a miniature sun located on the ceiling of the girl's lair. The demon was exposed and now forced to confront his 'victim' on her terms.  
  
Hand-to-hand combat ensued. They were both almost equally matched in speed, agility, evasion, and strength. Or so it would seem. In reality, the shadow demon was only stalling. He was waiting for his partner to grab the necklace.  
  
The cobra demon felt two cold hands grip the lead grey chain of her necklace. She tried to turn around and dislodge those hands, but the shadow demon in front of her kept her from doing anything of the sort. His grip on her arms and legs was much like having one's hands trapped in dry cement. And this time, they keep made sure she couldn't poison them.  
  
"Let go!" She said, her voice slightly raised.  
  
The gem was almost over her head.  
  
"I. Said. Let. GO!"  
  
Shadow fragments flew everywhere. The girl was now in her demonic form completely. Her eyes glowed entirely green and her skin was entirely purple. The gem was now a blinding bright purple and its chain was brilliant, pure silver. Years of grim and dust had evaporated off as bright green flames licked the edges of the necklace. Flames? This girl was not a wielder of fire, but flames of emerald green still encircled the necklace.  
  
"Do not touch me." Said the girl.  
  
Her voice sounded oddly disconnected from her own body. It sounded as though the gem was speaking for her, controlling her. It was similar to communicating with a possessed person. And the possessed were always very dangerous.  
  
The demon, who had been trying to take the necklace, only a moment ago, grabbed it once more. The demoness calmly grabbed the wrists of both his hands. The fire leapt from the necklace, to her arms, and finally into the body of the foolish shadow demon.  
  
He screamed. A most unearthly sound that would have broken all the glass in the room had the flames not been as deadly as the girl's liquid poison and silenced the shadow demon, once and for all.  
  
A peculiar thing happened at that moment. The flames, having been cut off from their meal prematurely, made their way back to the necklace. They burned the girl's skin, but she did not seem to notice. The fire became so intense that it also melted the metal of the necklace.  
  
And then it stopped.  
  
Both the girl, who seemed to have awoken from her trance, and the demon, looked at the necklace. The chain itself was completely gone. All that was left of the gem was a scar in the shape of the chain, the gem itself, and six pure silver spikes. Both the spikes and the gem were connected to the girl's skin, in the exact same place they had been when the gem had been a necklace. Just below where her neck ended and the rest of her body began.  
  
"Wha-what?" Whispered the girl. "What happened?"  
  
"I am nothing." The girl spoke, answering her own question, but it was obviously the gem that controlled her again. "I am human jewelry. I am only that and nothing more too all who seek me."  
  
The girl then recovered. She seemed to believe what the gem had told her, because she no longer seemed panicked. The shadow demon wasn't panicked either. Both of them stood up and prepared to face off again.  
  
But that never happened.  
  
Red eyes glared at him. Fire not unlike the flames of hell raged in their depths. A sword was embedded hilt deep into the shadow demon's heart, his only solid organ. The kanata was sharply yanked out and the shadow body fell to the ground. As he fell, the demon realized that blood was not as pretty, when it was his own.  
  
"Hiei?" Asked Keiko.  
  
The fire demon looked away from the bodies of the shadow demons. His gaze fell on Keiko. She was in her demon form, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were wide with shock. The young demon was wearing skimpy, black shorts, a revealing black tank top, and some sort of jewelry with silver spikes that was stuck to her skin. In a demon's state of mind, this was all very appealing.  
  
But that gem bothered him for some reason . . .  
  
"What are you doing here?" Exclaimed Keiko.  
  
The fire demon shifted his gaze to the two demon corpses again. The one that wasn't charred was bleeding profusely, thus making the white wood floors look as though they had been covered with a thick, vile smelling, blackish-red lacquer. And how had that one demon become charred, anyway . . .  
  
"That can't be the only reason." Declared Keiko. "I could have handled them. We both know that."  
  
Hiei's face was grim as he positioned himself on the windowsill. From out of his cape, he pulled out two clear crystals with his left had, which was bandaged.  
  
"What are those?" Asked Keiko, wondering how they explained Hiei's sudden arrival and also what had happened to his hand.  
  
"Eternal death ice. Crystals with souls trapped inside them. The crystal, soul, and then shadows, or some other element of the dead are combined, this turns the crystal black. After being combined, the crystal leaks out 'animated shadows'. These shadows then encase the heart of the demon whose soul was used, forming a body. The result is a demon minion who will do whatever it's told and requires nothing, but more shadows to feast on. These are the two crystals of the two shadow demons we just killed."  
  
"Souls?! How could someone do that?" Asked Keiko. "And why would they be sending demons after me?"  
  
"For the same reason it happens to everyone else in your situation. You have something they want." Answered Hiei.  
  
"Shouldn't we tell someone that there is a demon out there stealing souls?" Inquired Keiko.  
  
"Not unless you feel comfortable with telling everyone that you're a demon."  
  
"No! They can't know. It would kill them. It would destroy everything." Explained Keiko, now also sitting on the windowsill. "I-They . . . It's like when Yusuke became a detective and didn't tell me. He knew I wouldn't understand. He knew that it could have potentially ruined our . . . friendship. And you know what? It almost did. I was so worried for him, and worried about being left alone if he died, angry at him for not considering me, and angry at him for never telling me anything, leaving me for so long . . .  
  
"There were some nights when I wished that I didn't even know him. Yusuke's heart is always in the right place, but sometimes I honestly think he's more trouble then he's worth. Heh, you probably wouldn't think that about me though, if you had heard the way I constantly spoke of him, but there were times I knew I was just putting up a front, waiting for it to all smooth out. It still hasn't, you know. I could deal with him being a punk, not wanting to attend school, even messing with my head occasionally, but hunting demons? It was just too much. He depends on me to ground him, and I don't know if I could do that for him if I wasn't human. And even if I wasn't a demon, I don't think I could keep it up. I'm his escape from the nightmares he lives through. If he knew I was a demon, he no longer has anyplace to run to . . .  
  
"And now I don't want to be his escape, or anyone else's! Almost everyone I know has come to me for what they seem to think is my never ending supply of support and 'I'll-be-there-for-you' speeches! I never have liked people constantly depending on me to be optimistic, helpful, kind, and their solid rock of security. I used to be that kind of person because that was my nature, but everyone soon took advantage of that. I guess I still am like that, somewhere inside of me, but it can't continue. I have my own problems, my own *life*. I don't want to be burdened with every single stupid ordeal of everyone else's' lives! After a while, it wears you down. Piece by piece you start to fall apart . . . the metal pressure can be intense when no one seems to be willing to share your burden, but are more than happy to share theirs. Why does everyone think I exist only for them? Why do people treat me as if I'm some sort of-of saint or supportive character in a television show whose only purpose is to make all the main character's lives easier? I'm only human, demon; I mean. I think that's why I enjoy your company, Hiei. You never expect anything of that nature from me. You understand me. You *listen* to me."  
  
She leaned her head up against his shoulder. Keiko known this for a long time, before she even became a demon that this was how she felt, but her subconscious had never allowed these thoughts to surface. Only by saying then aloud did she realize that all these years, she had *always* planned her life around the lives of others. And she still was. Looking around her room, Keiko saw the bodies of the shadow demon once again. She would have to dispose of those at some point, preferably before her parents woke up.  
  
"I've changed a lot." She said. "But, I don't know what I've changed into. A few months ago, I knew where I was going in life. I knew that I was going to go to school, make good grades, and then get married. Those were my goals. Now I want to be something else. I don't know what, but I have an idea where I might find it . . ."  
  
"Where?"  
  
Hiei's eyes looked into hers. He seemed genuinely interested in what her answer would be. Although, his tone suggested he probably knew what she was going to say. Either way, Keiko was about to answer.  
  
"The past."  
  
Heritage. Ancestors. Knowing where you came from. All of this played a large part in what made a person. Traditions, customs, and rituals all came from your family. However, if you have no family, or one that is not actually your own, a compulsive desire to find where you came from fills you.  
  
It was a feeling that Hiei knew all too well.  
  
Why did anyone care about where they came from? The past had nothing to offer, but memories that should have stayed forgotten, wounds on the spirit that reopen, tombstones that should be left to crumble, and spirits never meant to be reawakened. The past had nothing to offer. Still, everyone can't help but be obsessed with the past. Many even live in it, despite the fact they belong in the present. In turn, they also become a part of the past. And a part of the ground.  
  
The cobra demon, both seeking and needing comfort, she wrapped both her arms around his waist, which also happened to trap Hiei's arm. In order not to compromise their contentment, the fire demon lifted his arm up and carefully placed it on Keiko's shoulder. Keiko looked at him. Hiei briefly wondered if the demoness realized that she was halfway between her humanoid form and demon form. Her skin was tinted purple, instead of pink, eyes supernaturally bright, and hair that was longer then it should be. But, as it has already been mentioned, the thought was only dwelled on briefly.  
  
And why would he only dwell on this briefly? Well, it could, possibly have something to do with Keiko's lips up against his.  
  
This was impulsive, irrational, and possibly dangerous! Keiko's brain screamed when some misplaced limb hit the light switch as they fell onto the cobra demon's bed. It might indeed be dangerous, but it just felt too good to stop.  
  
And not only in a physical way.  
  
It wasn't exactly like her dreams though. First off, Hiei seemed less likely to rip off her shirt then simply kiss her, as he was doing now. After what seemed to be a very short time to them, they resurfaced for air.  
  
"Why are we doing this?" Panted Keiko from under Hiei.  
  
"I don't know." Whispered the fire demon softly as he descended on his completely willing prey.  
  
The closeness of her and her warmth spread into his bones. This feeling, it was almost . . . heavenly. She was so wonderful to hold. Her mouth against his felt good, and tasted delicious. But this did not go beyond physical enjoyment . . .  
  
Did it?  
  
But then, something else preoccupied him. Something was draining him of his energy. Something very close. Something that was most likely the gem he was warned about. But, Keiko wasn't wearing anything that could be the gem except . . . that piece of human jewelry. Before he could do or say anything, a voice spoke to him and time seemed to freeze in place.  
  
"I'll kill her if you try to remove me, or tell anyone about me." Crackled a deep, female voice.  
  
"You're the gem." Stated Hiei.  
  
"Very good. Now, you don't seem to like my instructions. You better follow them, or do you wish for her to die?"  
  
"I wish you would die." Growled the fire demon.  
  
"Too bad that won't happen. I'm too powerful for that."  
  
"Then come out of the jewel."  
  
"In all due time, I will." Laughed the gem, before her presence in Hiei's mind had faded completely.  
  
Time resumed, but before Keiko had a chance to even say anything, Hiei used his jagan on her. It was better this way, to make her think this had all been a dream. And it would be better, if this never happened again.  
  
The fire demon picked Keiko up and tucked her back into her bed. He was tempted to kiss her one last time, but he didn't. Hiei turned to the open window, the sun was starting to rise.  
  
And then there was nothing, but the ruffling of the curtains in the wind to show that he had been there.  
***A NOTE TO EVERYONE***  
  
I'm sorry this chapter took forever to post! My family was moving and before I could finish this chapter, my dad disconnected the computer. By the time I was told, we were unable to use the computer. It wasn't his fault though, it was our landlord's. Anyway, I hope that this chapter was worth the wait.  
  
Also, there will be no responses in this chapter, because my mail box is stuffed and I didn't want to make you wait any longer.  
  
One last thing, if you're going to threaten to kill me for having trouble with this chapter (which was caused by writer's block, school work, moving to a new house and the computer being cut off), here are some pointers on how to do it correctly:  
  
1. Make sure you spell everything right. It's insulting when my executioner can't even spell 'or else' properly not to mention their own name.  
  
2. Try coming up with an inventive way for me to die. The old stabbing me in the back while I sleep routine has been over used, don't you think? I suggest death by exhaustion caused from a wild night with a certain fire demon.  
  
3. Think of something witty to say that might actually make me think you have the brain cells to pull off killing me.  
  
4. Also, did you ever stop to think that if you kill me, that I can't write the story anymore? Helloooo! If I'm dead, you aren't getting anything!  
  
Oh, and incase you didn't notice, this last part about the death threats is dedicated to 'youkaibicth' (that isn't how you spell it dear) and 'bleeding wings'.  
  
I'll tell you both something right now. I don't care if your patience is running thin. I don't care if you can't give me some slack about having a rather rough time with this chapter. What I do care about is that you took the death threat joke a little too far and made me feel not only insulted, but threaten too.  
  
Please learn to be a bit more tolerant of fellow human beings, because if you can't, I really don't want either of you to review this story anymore.  
  
As for the rest of you!  
  
THANK YOU so much for standing by me and being outstandingly supportive!  
  
(And no, this is not the last chapter; I'll tell you when it is)  
  
Demons 'n Lemons! Lady BlackDragonFire v ^_~ v 


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